Journal of Horticultural Sciences

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Effect of Packaging and Storage Temperature on Shelf-Life of Minimally Processed Onion (Allium cepa L.)


Affiliations
1 Division of Post Harvest Technology, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta lake Post, Bengaluru – 560 089, India
2 Agricultural Engineering, Gandhigram Rural Institute, Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu, India
3 Division of Vegetable Crops, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, India
 

Minimally processed onion is a ready-to-use onion product offering the consumer a fully usable commodity, without much change to freshness of the produce. Effect of packaging and storage temperature on shelf-life in minimally processed onion was studied. Packaging and temperature play an important role in determining shelf-life in minimally processed onion. Onion pieces approx. 8-10mm thick were cut with a plain, sharp knife and subjected to dip-treatment with the firming agent, calcium lactate (2%), for 5 minutes. The samples were surface-dried and packaged in polypropylene bags of size 250 X 125mm, of variable thicknesses (25, 50 or 75μm) and stored at low temperatures and high RH:8±1°C and 83±2% RH; 10±1°C and 82±2% RH; and, 12±1°C and 80±2% RH. It was found that onion cv. Arka Sona sliced with a plain, sharp knife, pre-treated with 2% calcium lactate, surface-dried and packaged in polypropylene bags sized 250X125mm (50μm thick), and stored at 8+1°C and 83±2% RH retained freshness and nutritive value, were microbially safe and acceptable, with a shelf-life of 14 days at storage.

Keywords

Minimal Processing, Onion, Calcium Lactate, Polypropylene Bags, Shelf-Life.
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  • Effect of Packaging and Storage Temperature on Shelf-Life of Minimally Processed Onion (Allium cepa L.)

Abstract Views: 170  |  PDF Views: 87

Authors

S. Bhuvaneswari
Division of Post Harvest Technology, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta lake Post, Bengaluru – 560 089, India
C. K. Narayana
Division of Post Harvest Technology, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta lake Post, Bengaluru – 560 089, India
R. Udhayakumar
Agricultural Engineering, Gandhigram Rural Institute, Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu, India
R. Veere Gowda
Division of Vegetable Crops, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, India

Abstract


Minimally processed onion is a ready-to-use onion product offering the consumer a fully usable commodity, without much change to freshness of the produce. Effect of packaging and storage temperature on shelf-life in minimally processed onion was studied. Packaging and temperature play an important role in determining shelf-life in minimally processed onion. Onion pieces approx. 8-10mm thick were cut with a plain, sharp knife and subjected to dip-treatment with the firming agent, calcium lactate (2%), for 5 minutes. The samples were surface-dried and packaged in polypropylene bags of size 250 X 125mm, of variable thicknesses (25, 50 or 75μm) and stored at low temperatures and high RH:8±1°C and 83±2% RH; 10±1°C and 82±2% RH; and, 12±1°C and 80±2% RH. It was found that onion cv. Arka Sona sliced with a plain, sharp knife, pre-treated with 2% calcium lactate, surface-dried and packaged in polypropylene bags sized 250X125mm (50μm thick), and stored at 8+1°C and 83±2% RH retained freshness and nutritive value, were microbially safe and acceptable, with a shelf-life of 14 days at storage.

Keywords


Minimal Processing, Onion, Calcium Lactate, Polypropylene Bags, Shelf-Life.

References