Vacuum Packaging of Minimally Processed UN-Ripe Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus. L) Bulbs

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus. L) is an important underutilized fruit cultivated widely in Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Assam, Andaman, and Nicobar Islands. In India, the un-ripe jackfruit is extensively used for preparation of chips and other value added products. The minimally processed un-ripe jackfruit bulbs could not be made available to people across the country due to its very short shelf-life. To address this issue, a study was conducted for shelf-life extension of minimally processed un-ripe jackfruit bulbs for duration of 3–4 weeks. Three vacuum percentages (60, 70 and 80%) were selected for packaging of minimally processed un-ripe jackfruit bulbs. Minimally processed jackfruit bulbs were given a dip pre-treatment with citric acid prior to packaging. The samples were packed in polyethylene packages (300 gauge) and stored at two environments i) low temperature (3–5°C) for 3 weeks, and ii) deep-freeze temperature (−12°C) for 6 weeks. The results indicated that the dip pre-treatment with citric acid, packaging at 3 vacuum percentages and storage under deep freeze temperature were found to be effective in restricting reducing sugar, TSS, titratable acidity & microbial load compared to control. Vacuum packaging was found to be very effective in controlling microbial contamination when stored in low temperature environments.