title: Effect of packaging materials and storage on major volatile compounds in three Australian native herbs.
abstract: Lemon myrtle, anise myrtle, and Tasmanian pepper leaf are commercial Australian native herbs with a high volatile or essential oil content. Packaging of the herbs in high- or low-density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE) has proven to be ineffective in preventing a significant loss of volatile components on storage. This study investigates and compares the effectiveness of alternate high-barrier property packaging materials, namely, polyvinylidene chloride coated polyethylene terephthalate/casted polypropylene (PVDC coated PET/CPP) and polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum foil/linear low-density polyethylene (PET/PET/Foil/LLDPE), in prevention of volatile compound loss from the three native herbs stored at ambient temperature for 6 months. Concentrations of major volatiles were monitored using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. After 6 months of storage, the greatest loss of volatiles from lemon myrtle was observed in traditional LDPE packaging (87% loss) followed by storage in PVDC coated PET/CPP (58% loss) and PET/PET/Foil/LLDPE (loss of 23%). The volatile loss from anise myrtle and Tasmanian pepper leaf stored in PVDC coated PET/CPP and PET/PET/Foil/LLDPE packaging was <30%. This study clearly indicates the importance of selecting the correct packaging material to retain the quality of herbs with high volatile content.
authors.affiliation: Innovative Food Solutions and Technologies, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation , P.O. Box 156, Archerfield, Queensland 4108, Australia.
authors.forename: Mridusmita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaliha
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cusack
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: Yasmina
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sultanbawa
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Smyth
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003212:Condiments / Q000032:analysis; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology; D005511:Food Handling; D018857:Food Packaging; D063427:Food Quality; D061353:Food Storage; D057141:Food, Preserved / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D027822:Myrtaceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D032423:Winteraceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds