It’s called Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), which has been introduced by the Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) and Department of Trade and Industry-Center for International Trade, Expositions and Mission (DTI-CITEM) in combination with zeolite-coated films.
With carabao mango as test samples, the packaging films’ performance was determined at the National Food Authority-Food Development Center (NFA-FDC).
"Normally, MAP involves modification of the atmosphere around the food crop or product inside the packaging material," ITDI explained. "The improved atmosphere allows the control of chemical and enzymatic reactions, thus reducing, if not totally eliminating, the main process of deterioration."
The packaging material, on the other hand, is a special type of film in which sodium-type zeolite (silicate) has been incorporated because of its capability to prolong shelf-life of tropical fruits.
ITDI explained that oxygen and carbon dioxide are components that contribute largely to the respiratory metabolism of fresh fruit, thus their combined levels should be carefully adjusted to effect suppression of respiration, as well as growth of spoilage microorganisms. The net effect is extension of the fruit’s unripe stage.
Fruits stored at MAP in the test packaging film, at 10 degrees Celsius, stayed fresh for 22 days. Upon removal from the package, the fruits took seven to 11 days to ripen at 25°C.
"This is good enough as this means the fruits can reach distant markets (other countries) in their fresh state. This would contribute to improvement of our country’s economy, resulting from maximization of revenues or minimization of losses," ITDI stressed. – Rudy A. Fernandez