Effect of Package Film on the Quality of Postharvest Chinese Toon Tender Shoots Storage

Abstract EN

The young leaves and shoots of the Toona sinensis (A.

Juss.) Roem.

tree, called Chinese toon, are commonly eaten as a vegetable in China.

This study was conducted to develop a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) system for Chinese toon tender shoots and to evaluate the effect of film oxygen transmission rate (OTR) on package atmospheres and consequent product quality changes during storage.

Fresh precooled Chinese toon tender shoots (25±0.5 g each) were packaged in sealed 10 cm × 15 cm polyethylene bags prepared with films of OTRs of 8.0, 11.6, 16.6, 21.4, or 29.5 pmol s−1 m−2 Pa−1 and stored at 4±0.5°C for 25 days.

Evaluations included package atmospheres, tissue electrolyte leakage, color, and sensory attributes (overall visual quality, off-odor, texture, and marketability).

Results indicated that the OTR of the package film significantly (P<0.05) affected package headspace gas composition, a⁎, hue angles, product quality, and shelf-life, under the tested package configurations and storage conditions.

Packages with film OTR of 21.4 pmol s−1 m−2 Pa−1 attained stable O2 (8.4–10.0 kPa) and CO2 (2.2–3.0 kPa) levels by day 10, which were maintained through the end of storage; products stored in these packages maintained freshness with high overall quality scores.