• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.360-365
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• 2010

The effects of precooling treatments on the storability of chicon were investigated during modified atmosphere (MA) storage. The forced air cooling showed faster precooling rate that reduced the internal temperature of chicon to $2{\pm}1^{\circ}C$, and the precooling time of forced air cooling was 1/6 of room cooling. The half cooling time was 3 hr 21 min in room cooling and 1 hr 17 min in forced air cooling. Weight loss was less than 0.5% in all treatments both $5^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$ MA storage and maintained higher in forced air cooling treatment. The concentration of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and ethylene of $50{\mu}m$ ceramic film packages were observed higher at $10^{\circ}C$ than $5^{\circ}C$. The precooling effect on respiration reduction was not shown at $5^{\circ}C$, but appeared that the gas concentration of precooling treatments showed less carbon dioxide and higher oxygen than non precooling treatment by 9 days after $10^{\circ}C$ storage. Ethylene concentration of precooling treatments showed lower than non precooling treatment until 3 days both $5^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$ MA storage. Precooling showed the effect on maintaining visual quality of chicon both $5^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$ MA storage. However, the forced air cooling that showed faster precooling rate did not appeared more precooling effect on the visual quality than room cooling because the fast air flow (6.0 m/sec) of forced air cooling hit directly on chicon outer leaves and might cause physical damage to chicon. Although the forced air cooling showed the effect on maintaining quality of chicon, but additional studies should be needed that investigated proper air flow rate and cooling box structure can prevent physical damage by air flow.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.799-806
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• 2012

This experiment was conducted to establish the optimum conditions for high $CO_2$ gas treatment in combination with a proper gas-permeable packaging film to maintain the quality of fig fruit (Ficus carica L). Among the fig fruits with different high $CO_2$ treatments, the quality change was most effectively controlled during storage in the 70%-$CO_2$-treated fig fruit. Harvested fig fruit was packaged using microperforated oriented polypropylene (MP) film to maintain the optimum gas concentrations in the headspace of packaging for the modified-atmosphere system. MP film had an oxygen transmission rate of about $10,295cm^3/m^2$/day/atm at $25^{\circ}C$. The weight loss, firmness, soluble-solid content (SSC), acidity (pH), skin color (Hunter L, a, b), and decay ratio of the fig fruits were monitored during storage at 5 and $25^{\circ}C$. The results of this study showed that the OPP film, OPP film + 70% $CO_2$, and MP film+70% $CO_2$ were highly effective in reducing the loss rate, firmness and decay occurrence rate of fig fruits that were packaged with them during storage. In the case of using treatments with packages of OPP film and OPP film+70% $CO_2$, however, adverse effects like package bursting or physiological injury of the fig may occur due to the gas pressure or long exposure to $CO_2$. Therefore, the results indicated that MP film containing 70% $CO_2$ can be used as an effective treatment to extend the freshness of fig fruits for storage at a proper low temperature.