MS-AGS23F20 Muhammad Haris Munir

MUHAMMAD HARIS MUNIR (MSAGS23-F20)
Post-Harvest Management Assignment

Submitted to; Dr. Rizwan
Packaging fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the more important steps in the long and complicated
journey from grower to consumer. The package must protect the produce from mechanical
damage and poor environmental conditions during handling and distribution. Reduction of
moisture loss from the product is a principal requirement of limited permeability packaging
materials.
Controlled and Modified Atmospheric Packaging (CAP and MAP)

The normal composition of air is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 0.03% Carbon dioxide and trees of the
noble gases. Modified atmosphere packaging is the method for extending the shelflife of perishable and
semi-perishable food products by altering the relative proportions of atmospheric gases that surround
the produce. Although the terms controlled atmosphere (CA) and modified atmosphere (MA) are often
used interchangeably a precise difference exists between these two terms.
Controlled atmosphere (CA)

This refers to a storage atmosphere that is different from the normal atmosphere in its composition,
wherein the component gases are precisely adjusted to specific concentrations and maintained
throughout the storage and distribution of the perishable foods.
Explanation
Controlled atmosphere relies on the continuous measurement of the composition of the storage
atmosphere and injection of the appropriate gases or gas mixtures into it, if and when needed. Hence,
the system requires sophisticated instruments to
monitor the gas levels and is therefore practical only
for refrigerated bulk storage or shipment of
commodities in large containers. If the composition of
atmosphere in CA system is not closely controlled or if
the storage atmosphere is accidentally modified,
potential benefit can turn into actual disaster. The
degree of susceptibility to injury and the specific
symptoms vary, not only between cultivars, but even
between growing areas for the same cultivars and
between years for a given location. With tomatoes, excessively low O2 or high CO2 prevents proper
ripening even after removal of the fruit to air, and CA enhances the danger of chilling injury.
Modified atmospheric packaging (MAP)
History
Based on archeological evidence, modified atmosphere storage dates back to the Neolithic period about
10,000 years ago in the Middle East, where underground pits were first used to store grain (Kays, 1997).
Some of these pits were sealed, so that inevitably they had modified atmosphere produced when the
grains’ respiratory activity consumed the oxygen and produced CO2. The ability to make pots of fired
clay has provided the necessary container with a gas exchange barrier to allow the storage of raisins in
modified atmosphere.
Explanation
Unlike CAPs, there is no means to control precisely the atmospheric components at a specific
concentration in MAP once a package has been hermetically sealed. Modified atmosphere conditions
are created inside the packages by the commodity itself and / or by active modification. Commodity –
generated or passive MA is evolved as a consequence of the commodity’s respiration. Active
modification involves creating a slight vacuum inside the package and replacing it with a desired mixture
of gases, so as to establish desired EMA
quickly composed to a passively generated
EMA. Another active modification
technique is the use of carbon dioxide or
ethyl absorbers (scavengers) within the
package to prevent the build-up of the
particular gas within the package. This
method is called active packaging.
Compounds like hydrated lime, activated
charcoal, magnesium oxide are known to
absorb carbon dioxide while iron powder is
known to absorb carbon dioxide.
Potassium permanganate, squakna and phenyl methyl silicone can be used to absorb ethylene within
the packages. These scavengers can be held in small sachets within the packages or impregnated in the
wrappers or into porous materials like vermiculite. With activity respiring commodities like fruits and
vegetables, the package atmosphere should contain oxygen and carbon dioxide at levels optimum to the
particular commodity. In general, MA containing between 2-5% Oxygen and 3.8% carbon dioxide have
been shown to extend the shelf life of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. If the shelf life of a
commodity at 20-25°C is 1, by employing MAP, it will be doubled, whereas refrigeration can extend the
shelf life to 3, and refrigeration combined with MAP can increase it to 4. Few types of films are routinely
used for MAP, the important ones are polyvinyl chloride, (PVC), polystyrene, (PS), polyethylene (PE) and
polypropylene (PP). The recent developments in co-extrusion technology have made it possible to
manufacture films with designed transmission rates of oxygen.
Vacuum packaging
Vacuum packaging offers an extensive barrier against corrosion, oxidation, moisture, drying out, dirt,
attraction of dust by electric charge, ultra violet rays and mechanical damages, fungus growth or
perishability etc. This technology has commendable relevance for tropical countries with high
atmosphere humidity. In vacuum packaging the product to be packed is put in a vacuum bag (made of
special, hermetic fills) that is then evacuated in a vacuum chamber and then sealed hermetically in order
to provide a total barrier against air and moisture. If some of the product cannot bear the atmosphere
pressure due to vacuum inside the package then the packages are flushed with inert gases like Nitrogen
and CO2 after evacuation.

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MUHAMMAD HARIS MUNIR (MSAGS23-F20)

Post-Harvest Management Assignment

Controlled and Modified Atmospheric Packaging (CAP and MAP)

Controlled atmosphere (CA)

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