Keeping quality of green celery as affected by modified atmosphere packaging

Shelf-fife of celery is improved when stored under controlled atmosphere. However, as far as we know, there are very few reports about the effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the quality and post-harvest life of green celery. Recommendations about plastic films that can be used are also scarce. The objective of this research was to study the effect of passive MAP on the post-harvest behaviour, chemical and sensorial quality changes and physiological disorders development of cold stored celery. Green celery stalks (cultivar 'Trinova') were packed in plastic bags made of either oriented polypropylene (OPP), low density polyethylene (LDPE) and macro perforated polypropylene as control (air) and stored at 4 degreesC for 4 weeks. Under MAP conditions equilibrium atmospheres were reached after 10 days of storage at about 8-9 kPa O-2 + 7 kPa CO2 and 8 kPa O-2 + 5 kPa CO2 within OPP and LDPE bags respectively. Decay developed in control celery, affecting nearly 5% of the stalks, and growth of internal leaves continued, lowering quality and reducing shelf fife. However, both MAP inhibited these processes, decreased the development of pithiness and retained the sensory quality, reducing both the development of the butt end cut browning and chlorophyll degradation. OPP film resulted in a package atmosphere that differed most from air and celery stored in this material was rated to have an appearance most similar to that at harvest.