Improving Shelf Life, Maintaining Quality, and Delaying Microbial Growth of Broccoli in Supply Chain Using Commercial Vacuum Cooling and Package Icing
Poor and inconsistent quality is a major barrier to increasing produce consumption, and the lack of shelf-life after purchase is the quality issue at retail displays of produce. This research aimed to investigate and identify cooling techniques, namely vacuum cooling and package icing used in supply...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Horticulturae |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/11/506 |
| _version_ | 1797510096126738432 |
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| author | Pimonphat Dirapan Danai Boonyakiat Pichaya Poonlarp |
| author_facet | Pimonphat Dirapan Danai Boonyakiat Pichaya Poonlarp |
| author_sort | Pimonphat Dirapan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Poor and inconsistent quality is a major barrier to increasing produce consumption, and the lack of shelf-life after purchase is the quality issue at retail displays of produce. This research aimed to investigate and identify cooling techniques, namely vacuum cooling and package icing used in supply chains, and any resulting extension of broccoli shelf-life, maintenance of physicochemical quality, and delay in microbial growth at retail stores. Broccoli (<i>Brassica oleracea</i> var. <i>italica</i> cv. Montop) sustainably grown in the highlands of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, under the Royal Project Foundation was experimented on vacuum cooling and package icing were selected to precool broccoli to 4 ± 1 °C. The effects of vacuum cooling using a final pressure of 0.6 kPa for 30 min and package icing using liner Styrofoam boxes (the best ratio of broccoli to crushed ice was 1:1 <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) on physicochemical qualities, microbial growth, and shelf-life in simulated refrigerated retail displays were examined. The results illustrated that the shelf-life and quality of broccoli could be extended using both vacuum cooling and package icing. Both precooling techniques inhibited the yellowing of florets, provided high sensory scores, delayed microbial growth, and could be able to extend the shelf-life of broccoli. However, package icing offered greater potential for maintaining quality, especially retaining bioactive compounds, and extending shelf-life, thereby increasing the produce market window from 5 to 12 days at 8 ± 1 °C with 85% RH. Therefore, package icing was recommended in the supply chain for fresh broccoli cv. Montop grown in northern Thailand. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:26:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bd09e11b7db34ec2861ad4bc2281339f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:26:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj.art-bd09e11b7db34ec2861ad4bc2281339f2023-11-22T23:34:40ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242021-11-0171150610.3390/horticulturae7110506Improving Shelf Life, Maintaining Quality, and Delaying Microbial Growth of Broccoli in Supply Chain Using Commercial Vacuum Cooling and Package IcingPimonphat Dirapan0Danai Boonyakiat1Pichaya Poonlarp2Faculty of Agro-Industry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, ThailandPostharvest Technology Innovation Center, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Invention, Bangkok 10400, ThailandFaculty of Agro-Industry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, ThailandPoor and inconsistent quality is a major barrier to increasing produce consumption, and the lack of shelf-life after purchase is the quality issue at retail displays of produce. This research aimed to investigate and identify cooling techniques, namely vacuum cooling and package icing used in supply chains, and any resulting extension of broccoli shelf-life, maintenance of physicochemical quality, and delay in microbial growth at retail stores. Broccoli (<i>Brassica oleracea</i> var. <i>italica</i> cv. Montop) sustainably grown in the highlands of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, under the Royal Project Foundation was experimented on vacuum cooling and package icing were selected to precool broccoli to 4 ± 1 °C. The effects of vacuum cooling using a final pressure of 0.6 kPa for 30 min and package icing using liner Styrofoam boxes (the best ratio of broccoli to crushed ice was 1:1 <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) on physicochemical qualities, microbial growth, and shelf-life in simulated refrigerated retail displays were examined. The results illustrated that the shelf-life and quality of broccoli could be extended using both vacuum cooling and package icing. Both precooling techniques inhibited the yellowing of florets, provided high sensory scores, delayed microbial growth, and could be able to extend the shelf-life of broccoli. However, package icing offered greater potential for maintaining quality, especially retaining bioactive compounds, and extending shelf-life, thereby increasing the produce market window from 5 to 12 days at 8 ± 1 °C with 85% RH. Therefore, package icing was recommended in the supply chain for fresh broccoli cv. Montop grown in northern Thailand.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/11/506vacuum coolingpackage icingprecoolingshelf lifequality |
| spellingShingle | Pimonphat Dirapan Danai Boonyakiat Pichaya Poonlarp Improving Shelf Life, Maintaining Quality, and Delaying Microbial Growth of Broccoli in Supply Chain Using Commercial Vacuum Cooling and Package Icing Horticulturae vacuum cooling package icing precooling shelf life quality |
| title | Improving Shelf Life, Maintaining Quality, and Delaying Microbial Growth of Broccoli in Supply Chain Using Commercial Vacuum Cooling and Package Icing |
| title_full | Improving Shelf Life, Maintaining Quality, and Delaying Microbial Growth of Broccoli in Supply Chain Using Commercial Vacuum Cooling and Package Icing |
| title_fullStr | Improving Shelf Life, Maintaining Quality, and Delaying Microbial Growth of Broccoli in Supply Chain Using Commercial Vacuum Cooling and Package Icing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improving Shelf Life, Maintaining Quality, and Delaying Microbial Growth of Broccoli in Supply Chain Using Commercial Vacuum Cooling and Package Icing |
| title_short | Improving Shelf Life, Maintaining Quality, and Delaying Microbial Growth of Broccoli in Supply Chain Using Commercial Vacuum Cooling and Package Icing |
| title_sort | improving shelf life maintaining quality and delaying microbial growth of broccoli in supply chain using commercial vacuum cooling and package icing |
| topic | vacuum cooling package icing precooling shelf life quality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/11/506 |
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