Studies on packaging and storage of onion powder

Onion powder prepared from 5 mm thick dehydrated onion slices after drying in a cabinet dryer at 60°C for 10 hrs. and grinding them in a labotary powder mill and sieving with 30 mesh sieve, can be stored upto 6 months in 400 gauge LDPE bags at 7°C and four and four months at room temperature with better pungency. Retention of colour and pungency as pyruvic acid was more in the samples packed in 400 gauge low density polyethylene (LDPE) pouches followed by 200 gauge high density polyethylene (HDPE) and 150 gauge polypropylene (PP) pouches, stored at low temperature. For storage of product having 3.85 per cent moisture, the optimum RH was found to be 47.5 per cent and the critical and danger point as 9.14 per cent and 6.75 per cent moisture respectively. The product was stable at low temperature as compared to high temperature in respect of colour and flavour.