Storability, shelf-life and quality assurance of sugar snap peas (cv. super sugar snap) using modified atmosphere packaging

• Microperforated (12 holes) bags (MPPP12) extended cold storage and shelf-life of sugar snap peas, maintaining good quality.
• MPPP12 bags maintained visual appearance, crispness, taste and green color.
• MPPP12 bags maintained higher chlorophyll levels, vitamin C, SSC and sugars than found with non-perforated (NPPP) bags.
• NPPP bags resulted in the worst visual quality, crispness, vitamin C, chlorophyll levels and sugars.
• High levels of off odors were detected in NPPP bags, while none were observed in other bags.

This investigation was aimed at selecting the most suitable package to maintain quality of sugar snap peas pods. The effectiveness of five types of polypropylene packages: highly perforated (HPPP), non-perforated (NPPP) and micro-perforated with 6, 12 and 24 holes (MPPP6, MPPP12 and MPPP24) on storability of pods was studied during cold storage at 0 °C with 90–95% RH for 7, 14, 21 days and simulating shelf-life conditions at10 °C with 80–85% RH for 2 or 4 days after 21 days at 0 °C. O2 and CO2 concentrations, weight loss, visual quality, off odors, decay, color, firmness, crispness, taste, total chlorophyll, vitamin C, SSC, and total sugar contents were measured. Results revealed that O2 decreased and CO2 increased slowly inside MPPP6, MPPP12 and MPPP24 bags, however, the reduction in O2 and the increments in CO2 in NPPP bags were very sharp and accompanied with high levels of off odors. HPPP had the highest weight loss compared with other bags. MPPP12 bags maintained quality during storage and simulated shelf-life, in terms of higher scores for visual quality, firmness, crispness and taste as well as highest contents of chlorophyll, vitamin C and sugars. NPPP bags had the worst values for quality. At the end of storage and shelf-life, an increment in h* was observed in samples stored in MPPP6, MPPP12 and MPPP24 bags (more green color) in comparison with those in NPPP bags.