Quality of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) in modified atmosphere packaging made by gas barrier-gas promoter blending materials

This work aimed to prepare a blend of sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (SPEEK) into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to develop a modified film suitable as a modified atmosphere package (MAP) for broccoli. The miscibility between SPEEK and PVDF was determined by homogeneous micro-morphology and single glass transition temperature (Tg). Results revealed that the blended material had good antifouling ability, moderate porosities and appropriate gas selectivity. Films prepared by the blended material were used as equilibrium MAP to maintain quality of broccoli samples during storage. With ∼ 300 g of broccoli in ∼ 2.1 L of internal volume, films prepared with 50% (w/w) SPEEK and 50% (w/w) PVDF maintained an internal atmosphere of 8.2% CO2 and 2.0% O2 in MAP. In this atmosphere, acceptable sensory score of the broccoli was maintained for 25 d, compared with only ∼ 15 d for control samples. The MAP also reduced loss of green color and maintained texture and chemical composition of broccoli. The results of this study reveal that the prepared gas promoter-gas barrier blending packaging has promise for preservation of harvested fresh vegetables.