Shelf-life Assessment on European Cucumber Based on Accelerated Temperature–Humidity Stresses

Abstract

The supply chain has been significantly impacted recently, and as a result the handling of products at the delivery and supply stage is of great importance. Currently, the agronomic industry is one of the most studied, but the reliability of harvests is not usually evaluated. This study uses a novel reliability analysis with an accelerated life test to expose the European cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) to accelerated temperature and humidity conditions. The objective is to observe the effect of both factors on the deterioration of the product. The analysis includes a degradation analysis to determine the significant factors causing degradation, followed by an accelerated life test (ALT) to determine the product’s shelf life. Finally, through the development of a reliability model, storage times for cucumbers under normal storage conditions are predicted.

Keywords

• European cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.)
• life assessment analysis
• accelerated life testing
• lognormal temperature–humidity relationship
• supply chain