title: Evaluating the Impacts of Selected Packaging Materials on the Quality Attributes of Cassava Flour (cvs. TME 419 and UMUCASS 36).
abstract: The influence of packaging materials (plastic bucket, low density polyethylene [LDPE] bags and paper bags) on quality attributes of the flour of 2 cassava cultivars (TME 419 and UMUCASS 36) stored at 23 ± 2 °C and 60% relative humidity (RH) were investigated for 12 wk. Cassava flour from each package type was evaluated for proximate composition, physicochemical properties and microbial growth at 4-wk intervals. Total color difference (∆E) of both cassava flour cultivars increased with storage duration. Flour packed in plastic bucket had the lowest change in color (3.2 ± 0.42) for cv. "TME 419ˮ and (4.1 ± 0.87) for cv. "UMUCASS 36ˮ at the end of week 12. Total carotenoid decreased across all treatment, and after the 12 wk storage, the highest total carotenoid retention (1.7 ± 0.02 and 2.0 ± 0.05 μg/mL) was observed in flour packed in plastic bucket. However, cassava flour in paper bag had the lowest microbial count of 3.4 ± 0.03 and 3.4 ± 0.08 log cfu/g for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and fungi, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Postharvest Technology Research Laboratory, South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology, Dept. of Food Science, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch Univ, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.|Postharvest Technology Research Laboratory, South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology, Dept. of Horticultural Science, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch Univ, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.
authors.forename: Umezuruike Linus
authors.initials: UL
authors.lastname: Opara
authors.affiliation: Postharvest Technology Research Laboratory, South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology, Dept. of Food Science, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch Univ, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.|Postharvest Technology Research Laboratory, South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology, Dept. of Horticultural Science, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch Univ, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.|Dept. of Horticultural Engineering, Leibniz Inst. for Agricultural Engineering (ATB), Max-Eyth-Allee 100, D-14469, Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Oluwafemi J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Caleb
authors.affiliation: Postharvest Technology Research Laboratory, South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology, Dept. of Food Science, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch Univ, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.|Postharvest Technology Research Laboratory, South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology, Dept. of Horticultural Science, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch Univ, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.
authors.forename: Amarachi D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Uchechukwu-Agua
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis*; D003116:Color; D005433:Flour; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D061353:Food Storage / Q000379:methods; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D002365:Manihot / Q000737:chemistry*; D010209:Paper; D018517:Plant Roots; D010969:Plastics; D020959:Polyethylene; D013696:Temperature; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D002338:Carotenoids; D020959:Polyethylene
keywords: carotenoids; microbial safety; packaging; postharvest; shelf life