Active Packaging of Dried Fruits

Dried Fruits Packaging:
Drying is one of the most ancient methods used to preserve foods. Archeological sites show that this technique was used in Egypt and Mesopotamia since 4000 before Christ (BC). Controlling the initial water content and its variation during storage is crucial to maintaining the quality of the product. Due to their significantly active surface, dried fruits and vegetables represent a unique challenge in terms of food protection and are very sensitive to humidity and oxidation during their storage. This is why it is especially important to select the ideal packaging and storage methods in order to prevent these undesirable physicochemical processes, which are detrimental to the products’ quality. The principal aims of the packaging material and internal atmosphere are to keep the food in good condition until it is consumed.
Many studies were conducted with different fruits for the purposes of preserving, storing, and packaging processed products to increase their shelf life. The effects of packaging materials, storage time, and temperature are critical factors for preserving fruits during their off-season.
In order to serve as packaging for dehydrated fruits and vegetables, the material must prove itself to be a good barrier against water vapor and, depending on the particular product, also against O2, SO2, and other volatiles. The headspace inside the package and the permeability to oxygen and other gases of the material determine the quantity of oxygen permeating into the package during the storage period.
Important physicochemical processes that affect the headspace occur during the storage of fruit, which are determined by storage conditions. The internal atmosphere, often due to its oxygen content, is responsible for most food spoilage. Furthermore, the rate of biological reactions generally increases two-or threefold for every 10 ◦C rise in temperature within the range normally encountered during the storage and distribution of food. The chosen material for the film plays an important role in allowing, or not, the permeation of gases that may accelerate the deterioration of the foodstuff.
In addition, at least 2500 volatile compounds are formed as a result of Maillard reactions. Oxygen contact also has an impact on the products of the Maillard process. Thus, maintaining the optimum composition of the headspace by select ing the best packaging material is essential for controlling these various processes.
Although dried fruits are inherently less perishable than fresh ones, product spoilage always occurs; consequently, further research into modifying package atmosphere may help improve their shelf life. However, there are not many papers about MAP applied to dried-fruit storage.
Nano Fidar Nikan Pars Company has introduced its active (smart) packages to the market in order to help improve the storage conditions of different types of dried fruits and nuts and prevent its spoilage. These packages can increase the shelf life of dried fruits and nuts by controlling the internal atmospheric conditions as well as their antimicrobial properties.