Sulphur dioxide evolution during dried apricot storage

• Published in: Food science & technology Vol. 42; no. 2; pp. 531 - 533
• Main Authors: Miranda, Gonzalo, Berna, Àngel, Salazar, Domingo, Mulet, Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: aerobic conditions; apricots; Biological and medical sciences; Dried apricots; dried fruit; drying; Food industries; food packaging; food storage; Fruit and vegetable industries; fruit quality; fruits (food); Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; glass; kinetics; Loss kinetics; packaging materials; polyacrylamide; polyethylene; polypropylenes; postharvest treatment; shelf life; Storage; storage temperature; storage time; sulfur dioxide; Sulphur dioxide; Sulphur dioxide; Storage; Loss kinetics; Dried apricots; Fruit; Warehousing; Food preservation; Apricot; Evolution; Kinetics
• ISSN: 0023-6438; 1096-1127
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2008.08.008

Sulphur dioxide is used as a pre-treatment to facilitate drying, improve product quality and extend the shelf life of apricots. During storage, SO
2 losses are observed, thus reducing the effect of this agent. The aim of this paper is to analyze the evolution of SO
2 content in dried apricots packaged in different types of containers, namely glass and polypropylene trays thermosealed with different films (oriented polyamide OPA
+
polyethylene PE and polyamide PA
+
polypropylene PP). The packaging atmosphere was air in all cases. Storage was carried out at constant temperature: 5, 15, 25 and 35
°C. Stored samples were analysed periodically over 12 months. In order to model the SO
2 losses, two empirical kinetic models were tested: these models assimilate this process to a first order irreversible and a first order reversible kinetics. The explained variance being higher than 94% in all cases, but only the reversible kinetics is able to depict the residual SO
2 observed.