Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is instrumental for extending the shelf-life of packaged horticultural products and fresh cuts through modifying the package headspace gas composition. By increasing carbon dioxide and decreasing oxygen concentrations, the respiration rate of these products tends to decrease, thereby slowing down their postharvest quality losses and spoilage. The optimal headspace carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations, which are highly product-dependent, can be established by controlling several packaging and product parameters. Besides manipulating carbon dioxide and oxygen headspace concentrations to maximize shelf-life, other volatile vapours have also been deployed to inhibit microbial growth and some enzymatic reactions, through controlled release technologies. The deployment of active packaging capable of scrubbing ethylene, a naturally occurring plant volatile that accelerates the ripening and senescence processes in fruits, can be helpful to extend the shelf-life of climacteric fruits. This webinar will provide an overview on the basic principles of MAP for fresh produce and cover selected topics on MAP technologies.
Speaker: Dr. Loong-Tak Lim, Department of Food Science, University of Guelph
Date: Thursday, April 29, 2021
Time: 12:00–1:00 PM EST (lunch and learn)
Registration: Zoom
OMAFRA