Vol. 11, Special Issue 6 (2022)

Author(s):
M Kundana, Smruthi Jayarajan and Jatinder Singh

Abstract:
The postharvest loss of fruits has been in its soaring high ever since the pandemic hit, among the plethora of management practices, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), is a technique to enhance the shelf life and maintain the quality of products through the alterations in gases concentration by encompassing them (product packaging). The fruits are a highly respiring commodity, so for the selection of films/packaging material for this purpose, the permeability to carbon dioxide and oxygen gases is of utmost consideration. The gases that play a key role in MAP such as O₂, CO₂, and nitrogen, sometimes Argon (Ar), and the individual composition of gases varies depending on crop and the storage method. For MAP, the choice of gas composition inside the package depends on the type of fruits (based on sensitivity), etc. that are being packed. The MAP enhances the shelf life of fruits by altering the microenvironment, thereby reducing respiration and increasing shelf life. The fruits either fresh or minimally processed are packed using active MAP and passive MAP for better quality and shelf-life enhancement. The present review reveals the effect of MAP on the shelf-life of fruits through the use of various packaging materials and summarizes recent advances/developments in the same field.