Investigation of the effect of modified atmosphere and storage temperature on the quality characteristics of packaged strawberries in polyethylene film

Strawberries are very short shelf life due to the high sensitivity to fungal growth factors. The use of artificial antifungal chemical compounds has been a source of concern for increasing the shelf life of this fruit. For this reason, it is necessary to use safe methods to control the damage and maintain the quality of strawberry fruit when stored in storage. In this study, strawberry treatments were packaged in polyethylene film containing different percentages of carbon dioxide / nitrogen gas (35/65, 25/75, 15/85). The control sample was a modified strawberry-packed strawberry treatment without atmosphere. After packing, all strawberry treatments were stored at 0 and 15 °C. Tests including mold-counting tests, measuring solids content, texture firmness, ascorbic acid content, anthocyanin content and sensory evaluation for packaged strawberries were performed on the treatments during nine days of storage. The results showed that the amount of anthocyanin, ascorbic acid and tissue stiffness decreased significantly (P≤ 0.05) in all treatments during 9 days of storage, but the trend was reduced in treatments that were modified in the atmosphere with higher concentrations of carbon dioxide They were gentler and kept at a lower temperature. Due to the fact that the highest levels of anthocyanins, ascorbic acid and texture firmness were observed in strawberry samples stored in a controlled atmosphere with 85% carbon dioxide and 15% nitrogen and a temperature of 0 °C, so the treatment was treated. It was selected as superior in terms of quality and nutritional properties of strawberries after 9 days of storage.