Australian scientists will extend the shelf life of raspberries due to packaging with a modified atmosphere

Australian researchers have begun to explore the possibilities of extending the shelf life of raspberries. Candidate of Agricultural Sciences of the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, Kew Nha Heinh, focused on the problem of packaging and berry processing methods in order to extend its shelf life.

“Compared with larger fruits and berries, raspberry storage is very short. It is important that the berry is kept in the correct packaging in order to prolong its freshness and prevent damage, ”the expert said.

According to Kew Nha Heinh, due to the hollow structure, this berry must be carefully handled, as moisture accumulates inside the raspberry and stays. This can adversely affect their resilience in just a few days. When cooling the raspberries, the manufacturer falls into the trap - to ensure long-term storage of the berries must be cooled, but cooling the berries leads to a significant loss of moisture. During the study, scientists test various berry storage systems, testing the quality of raspberries after two weeks of storage.

One of the systems studied is the packaging with a modified atmosphere.

“Since such a package is sealed, we can change and test the effect of various combinations of gases that make up ordinary air on the shelf life of the berries,” said the expert. “I try to choose the gas combination most suitable for storing berries.”

Among other things, the packaging itself can not control the development of mold, so scientists are developing processing methods that will allow to deal with the problem.