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Quantitative Methods for Food Safety and Quality in the Vegetable Industry pp 193–212Cite as

Optimal Packaging Design and Innovative Packaging Technologies for Minimally Processed Fresh Produce

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Part of the book series: Food Microbiology and Food Safety ((PRACT))

Abstract

The quality and safety of minimally processed fruits and vegetables is determined by two different types of processes: (1) physiological processes such as respiration, ethylene production, enzymatic browning, and transpiration and (2) microbial processes. These processes can be retarded by using the optimal packaging design, defined as EMAP (equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging). The performance of EMAP is however highly influenced by the accuracy of the respiration rate assessment and by the initial microbial load on the fresh produce. Once the respiration rate has been assessed, the optimal packaging concept can be designed based on the necessary permeability. This permeability is determined by the polymeric material itself, but can be altered by using orientation, porous structures, or microperforations. The choice of the packaging concept will also be influenced by the filling system.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ghent University - Department of Food Quality and Food Safety, Laboratory for Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Ghent, Belgium

    A. Vermeulen, F. Devlieghere & P. Ragaert

  2. Pack4Food VZW, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, Belgium

    A. Vermeulen & P. Ragaert

Authors
  1. A. Vermeulen
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  2. F. Devlieghere
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  3. P. Ragaert
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Devlieghere .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science and Technology, International Campus of Excellence in the AgriFood Sector (CeiA3), University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain

    Fernando Pérez-Rodríguez

  2. Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Panagiotis Skandamis

  3. Food Sciences and Nutrition, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    Vasilis Valdramidis

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Vermeulen, A., Devlieghere, F., Ragaert, P. (2018). Optimal Packaging Design and Innovative Packaging Technologies for Minimally Processed Fresh Produce. In: Pérez-Rodríguez, F., Skandamis, P., Valdramidis, V. (eds) Quantitative Methods for Food Safety and Quality in the Vegetable Industry. Food Microbiology and Food Safety(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68177-1_9

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