Nutritional quality and shelf life extension of capsicum (Capsicum annum) in expanded polyethylene biopolymer

Freshly harvested capsicum has limited shelf life (5–6 days) under ambient storage conditions. The functional quality of capsicum has been assessed in two sizes (300g±10%) and (900g±10%) of 30μ flex fresh™ expanded polyethylene biopolymer pouches at 3 and 10°C and 90–95% RH under modified atmospheric storage. In both small and big size pouches, composition of oxygen and carbon dioxide varied from 18.8–19.9% and 18.8–19.4% and from 2.2–0.7% and 2.0–1.4%, respectively during 28 days of storage at 3°C. Positive and significant correlation was observed between overall acceptability and CO₂ composition however, negative correlation was observed with O₂ composition. Minimum increase (6.02% and 4.35%) in PLW, minimum decrease in firmness (4.71N-3.50N and 4.71N-2.70N), minimum decrease in chlorophyll (70.3% and 75.5%) and minimum losses (47.6% and 40.3%) of ascorbic acid were obtained after 28 days of storage in small and big size capsicum, respectively at 3°C. The decrease in total phenol and antioxidant activity was 82.4% and 78.6% and 60.1% and 59.4%, respectively after 28 days of the storage at 3°C of small and big size capsicum, respectively. Judges observed most acceptable consistency and OAA score for both sizes of capsicum in pouches up to 21 days of storage at 3°C.