Modified atmosphere packaging to improve the shelf-life of Goji berries during cold storage

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging on the quality parameters and the shelf-life of fresh goji berries. Fruits, placed in trays, were closed in passive modified atmosphere packaging (pMAP) using polypropylene bags or kept in open polyethylene bags (AIR) as control. Samples were analyzed just after harvest and during storage (5, 13 days) at 7°C for visual quality (VQ), color parameters, weight loss, dry weight, total soluble solids (TSS), antioxidant activity (AA) and total phenols (TP), while respiration rate (RR) was evaluated only after 5 days. Changes in gas composition in pMAP samples was measured daily. The use of pMAP allowed to reduce the RR of about 26% compared to fresh sample, to preserve the berries weight loss during storage and their marketability until 13 day at 7°C, while AIR samples were not edible after 5 days due to mold growth on the berries surfaces. No changes of color parameters, dry weight, TSS, AA and TP were observed during storage comparing treatments. In conclusion, the use of pMAP was able to extend the shelf-life of goji berries for 13 days at 7°C, 8 days more than berries stored in AIR.