International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 10 Issue: 08 | Aug 2023
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
www.irjet.net
Development of Effective Tomato Package for Post-Harvest Preservation Onwuzuruigbo, Johnson U.1, Okonkwo Ugochukwu C.2 1,2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Nigeria.
---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------life of a tomato. At a temperature of 50C, tomato respire Abstract - This study evaluated the effects of chemical
moderately between 10 – 20 MgC02/Kg – hr while at a temperature of 70C tomato can have a shelf life of up to three weeks (21 days) (Package India, 1998). In the study of Dario et al, (2018) on the chemistry behind tomato quality, they confirmed that tomato contains volatile and non – volatile chemical substances. Some of them include: ethers, aldehydes, ketones, fatty acid derivatives, amino acid derivatives, terpenoids, sugars, umami compounds, carotenoids and polyphenols. These chemicals in tomato can react with other chemicals used to extend the shelf life of tomato or chemical contents of tomato packages. In the study of Gherezi et al (2012) and Anyasi et al (2016) to extend the shelf life of tomato with chemicals, they succeeded without testing the effects of those chemicals they used. Some of the chemicals they used are boric acid (H3BO3), calcium chloride (CaCl2), and potassium tetra Oxomanganese (KMnO4).
content on packaged materials on fresh tomato. The study was carried out by using kraft paperboard to design a package with different numbers of holes, back cover of polyethylene and some without holes. The packages were designed to contain about twenty five pieces of average sized tomatoes on one row arrangement. The packages consist of six packages and a control without packaging named M, N, O, P, Q, R and S respectively. These packages were distinguished with some having varied number of holes, covered with polyethylene and a control without hole nor covering. Tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicum) were packaged in these packages for sixteen days to ascertain their physiological weight loss, percentage of decay, chemical interaction with the packaging materials and overall shelf life for each package, reading was taken at intervals of four days. The data obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance and means of different parameters were compared by least significant difference (LSD). The result revealed that packaging had a significant effect on physiological weight loss, percentage of decay, chemical interaction of the packaging material and overall shelf life. The least physiological weight loss of 0.00% was recorded on package N for the fourth day and the highest physiological weight loss of 22.22% on package S on the sixteenth day. For the first four days, none of the tomatoes decayed in all the packages but on the sixteenth day, package N had the least percentage decay of 8.00% with package P having the highest percentage of decay of 53.85%. The interaction of the chemical content of the tomato and the packaging material to the rate of decay showed that there is significant difference between the interactions (P
In Nigeria, tomato is cultivated in many parts of the country. It thrives well in Savanna agro-channel zone with less pest and diseases of tomato. Major producing areas lies between latitude 7.50N and 130N and within a temperature range of 250C – 340C. The states in this categories are Jigawa, Kastina, Zamfra, Sokoto, Kaduna, Bauchi, Gombo, Taraba, and Kano in the northern part of the country. It can also be grown in southern states like Delta, Kwara and Oyo (Agronews, 2016). Tomato is a vegetable with high content of water which makes it to have a very short shelf life when exposed to high temperature. In its season, it is produced in abundance which needs to be kept fresh for consumption. To do this, packaging of fresh tomato is one of the best option.
0.05). The following elements –
Aluminum, Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Silicon and Tin – present in the packaging material proved to be poisonous when tomatoes decayed in the packaging material. The shelf life of 20 days was observed in package N while other packages had 15 days. It can be concluded that packaging of fresh tomato with kraft paperboard of eight holes of 35mm each resulted in longer shelf life and least rate of decay.
According to (Raheem, 2012), packaging material could be either rigid or flexible. Rigid packaging materials are not easily moved out of their position. Some examples include glass, plastics, jars, cans pottery, wooden boxes, drums, tins and tubes. Flexible packaging is a major group of materials that include plastic films, paper foil, vegetable fibres, cloths, sacks and sealed or unsealed bags. The development of packaging shows a growth from crude methods to sophisticated, advanced and appealing methods with future prospects of better ways. A study of the history shows that earlier packages started from leaves, hollowed out tree limbs, grounds, skins, baskets and earth ware. The development of packages moved according to the following trends: ceramics, glass, paper (Oldest flexible packaging), iron, plastics, cellophane and recently modified atmosphere
Key Words: Fresh, tomato, Packaging, Physiological, weight, shelf-life.
1. INTRODUCTION The shelf life of a fresh tomato is the duration from harvesting a matured tomato to a day before spoiling. Temperature is a very important factor that affects the shelf
© 2023, IRJET
|
Impact Factor value: 8.226
|
ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal
|
Page 867