• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.9-15
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• 2020

As of 2018, total yield of lettuce and strawberry amounted to 93,543 tons (representing 1.0 percent) and 183,639 tons (2.0 percent), respectively, among total yields worth 9,185,889 tons in South Korea. Lettuce is affected by a combination of numerous elements such as varieties, cultivation methods and pests during each growth phase (Lee et al., 1999). It is mainly cultivated in spring and fall. Especially due to respiration rate after harvest leading to reduced quality and poor storage, maintaining annual supply is unavailable (Jang et al., 2018). With the distribution of new varieties, forcing culture and indoor insulated facilities for plant cultivation during winter, strawberries are produced every year except for late summer and early fall. Due to active respiration, transpiration, soft flesh and high water content, the fruit is vulnerable to go bad and got rotten compared to other fruits. Furthermore, it is difficult to maintain freshness due to the possibility of softening, discoloration and fungi (Lee et al., 2012). In this regard, developing improved storage and package techniques is needed to ensure maintaining quality and safety even just two to three days after harvest. In order to ensure improved quality and safety of strawberries and lettuce after harvest, the present study applied a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) technology (Mostofi et. al., 2008). Going forward, it compared the quality and safety of the two products while being stored in a way that put them in an MAP-applied container and a plastic container at room temperature and 4 degree Celsius.