Transition in quality attributes of potato under different packaging systems during storage

Abstract

The suitability of different packaging materials i.e. jute, nylon, polypropylene, cotton, low density polyethylene, medium density polyethylene and high density polyethylene were studied along with the control on the premium potato variety “Lady Rosetta”. After the harvest potato tubers were washed, sorted, graded, cured and subsequently stored in different packaging materials at ambient temperature (25±2oC). Transition in quality attributes of potato tubers under different packaging materials were studied on the basis of their physico-chemical and functional parameters. Overall results revealed that packaging materials had significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on most of the quality attributes studied. In general weight loss, glucose, glycoalkaloids, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, increased while ascorbic acid contents decreased with the increase of storage time. Total phenolic contents and radical scavenging activity showed a sort of parabolic trend during the storage period. Amongst different packaging employed potato stored in polypropylene and low density polyethylene packaging presented best overall retention of vital quality attributes during 63 days storage however, tensile strength of polypropylene packaging made it advantageous for prolonged potato storage coupled with easy transit operations during marketing.