The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging on the quality and shelf life of minimally processed carrots during cold storage. | Turk J Agric For 32 (2008) 57-64 © TÜB‹TAK Effect of Modified Atmosphere Packaging on the Quality and Shelf Life of Minimally Processed Carrots Zehra AYHAN*, Okan EfiTÜRK, Emel TAfi Mustafa Kemal University, Department of Food Engineering, Hatay - TURKEY Received: Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging on the quality and shelf life of minimally processed carrots during cold storage. Ready-to-eat carrots (Nantes) prepared by manual peeling and automatic slicing were packed with passive (in air) and active modified atmospheres at low (5% O2, 10% CO2, 85% N2) and high oxygen concentrations (80% O2, 10% CO2, 10% N2). Minimally processed carrots were packed in polypropylene (PP) trays sealed with PP based film. Microbial, chemical, physical, and sensory analyses were conducted in carrots for 21 days at 4 °C. There was no yeast or mold growth during the 21 days of storage; however, the growth of mesophilic aerobic bacteria was observed at all treatments. The carrots packed with high oxygen and passive MAP retained quality properties better compared to low oxygen. The whiteness index did not significantly change during the 21 days of storage in all applications, indicating the good retention of orange color. The texture values declined for both passive and active MAP applications after 14 days of storage indicating a significant softening (P ≤ ). According to oxygen level in the headspace and sensory results, shelf life of minimally processed carrots is suggested as 7 days for high oxygen and passive MAP application; however, it is limited to only 2 days for modified atmosphere with low oxygen. Key Words: Minimally processed carrots, modified atmosphere packaging, shelf life, whiteness index, ready to eat/use Tüketime Haz›r Havuç Dilimlerinde Modifiye Atmosfer Paketlemenin Kalite ve Raf Ömrüne Etkisi Özet: Bu çalıflmanın amacı modifiye atmosfer paketlemenin tüketime hazır havuç dilimlerinde .
