title: The effect of packaging material and storage period on microwave-dried potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cubes.
abstract: The effect of three packaging materials (transparent biaxially oriented polypropylene laminate (BOPP); semi-transparent BOPP; polyethylene-polyamide (PE-PA) laminate) in three packaging conditions (vacuum, N2, natural atmosphere) and in two temperature treatments (blanching in hot water; steam) on microwave-dried potato (Solanum tuberosum L.; Solanaceae) cubes was studied. After storage for 60 and 120 days, the amount of ascorbic acid (AA), shrinkage and rehydration were determined. Dried potato cubes packaged under N2 atmosphere had the highest rehydration value (3.142 %). Since there is a direct relationship between the amount of water loss and shrinkage, samples packaged in PE-PA laminate packages under vacuum showed 4.947 % less shrinkage than transparent BOPP or semi-transparent BOPP due to low permeability of these packages. Potatoes stored for 120 days resulted in 7.89 % more shrinkage than those stored for 60 days. The least loss in AA occurred in PE-PA laminate packaging. The shelf-life of potato cubes can be increased and their quantitative and qualitative characteristics can be best preserved by package-drying in PE-PA laminate under vacuum conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology Sabzevar Branch, Islamic Azad University of Sabzevar, Sabzevar, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahrzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shakouri
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Engineering Research, Agricultural Research Center of Shahroud, Shahroud, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Ziaolhagh
authors.affiliation: Zabol Medicinal Plants Research Center, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 61615-585, Zabol, Iran ; Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 61615-585, Zabol, Iran ; Cereal Health Research Center of Zabol, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 61615-585, Zabol, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Javad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sharifi-Rad
authors.affiliation: Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, 61615-585 Iran.
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heydari-Majd
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran.
authors.forename: Rohallah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tajali
authors.affiliation: Expert of seed and Plant Certification and Registration department, Agricultural Research Center of Shahroud, Shahroud, Iran.
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nezarat
authors.affiliation: P.O. Box 7, Miki-cho post office, Ikenobe 3011-2, Kagawa-ken, 761-0799 Japan.
authors.forename: Jaime A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Teixeira da Silva
keywords: Ascorbic acid; Packaging; Potato cubes; Rehydration; Shrinkage; Water absorbance percentage