Effect of packaging on the shelf life of tender palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) fruit endosperm

Abstract

Tender palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) fruit endosperm, also known as ice apple is consumed during the summer months especially in Southern and Eastern India. The endosperm is manually removed from the tender palmyra fruit using a heavy knife or sickle by the road side vendors before it is consumed. An investigation on retail film packaging was conducted to study the shelf life of tender palmyra endosperm in sealed packages. The research was carried out to study the effect of packaging films of different thickness on the physio-sensory properties of the endosperm under ambient (32±2°C) and refrigerated (5 ±1°C) conditions. The endosperm was packed in polypropylene bags of 40 and 80 micron thickness and low density polyethylene bags of 150 and 450 micron thickness and High Molecular density (HM) polyethylene bags of 40 micron thickness. The packed samples were kept for storage under ambient and refrigerated conditions. They were evaluated for the changes in weight loss, TSS and also firmness, colour and odour by subjective evaluation at periodic interval during storage.  The weight loss was minimum for the sample packed in 450 micron Low Density Polyethylene bag under refrigerated storage. Sensory scores revealed that the overall acceptability(5.0) of palmyra endosperm packed in 450 micron thickness Low Density Poly Ethylene was highest at the end of storage under ambient condition. Similarly, highest overall acceptability (4.0) was observed in High Molecular density polyethylene bag of 40 micron thickness at refrigerated storage. Under normal conditions, palmyra endosperm is prone to spoilage within few hours due to oxidation and fermentation. The results of the study revealed that the shelf life of palmyra endosperm could be extended up to two days under ambient condition, when packed in Low Density Poly Ethylene bag of 450 micron thickness, whereas under refrigerated condition, shelf life could be up to eight days, when packed in high molecular density polyethylene bags of 40 micron thickness.