WO2008002195A2

WO2008002195A2 - Method for storing agricultural products

Info

Publication number: WO2008002195A2
Application number: PCT/RU2007/000323
Authority: WO
Inventors: Valery Fedorovich Shvets; Vladimir Alexandrovich Gudkovsky; Roman Anatolievich Kozlovsky; Andrei Vladimirovich Kustov
Original assignee: Obschestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu 'fito-Mag'
Priority date: 2006-06-28
Filing date: 2007-06-14
Publication date: 2008-01-03
Also published as: RU2006123023A; WO2008002195A3; RU2325811C2; UA85404C2

Abstract

The invention relates to preserving agricultural products, such as berries, fruits, vegetables etc., in a modified gas medium which makes it possible to preserve the products not only during a long-term storage, but also during the transportation thereof. The inventive method consists, prior to storing the agricultural product, in holding said products for 12-48 hours in a 1-methylcyclopropene-containing atmosphere and in storing them packed in gas-permeable polymer materials at a low-temperature. Said invention makes it possible to extend the storage time of agricultural products.

Description

METHOD FOR STORING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

The invention relates to a technology for the conservation of agricultural products - berries, fruits, vegetables, etc. in a modified gas environment (MGS), which ensures its reliable preservation not only during long-term storage, but also during transportation. It is known that unjustified losses of fruits and vegetables (up to 50% of the total) are largely due to the imperfection of many stages of the field-consumer chain. At the same time, storage and transportation are one of the most important links in this chain.

A known method of storing agricultural products, providing for the processing (aging) of agricultural crops before laying them for storage with gaseous 1-methylcyclopropene (MCP). MCP crop processing slows down the enzymatic processes of post-harvest ripening and aging of plants and fruits, as well as the development of many physiological diseases (tanning, decay from aging, wet burns, oiliness of the skin, etc.), mushroom rot. Since MCP under normal conditions is a gaseous unstable substance, prone to oxidation reactions, polymerization and other transformations, it is used in the form of preparations representing the sorption products of MCP by various solids (US 6313068, RU 2267272). The release of gaseous MCP from the preparation is carried out by contacting it with water, for example, by immersing it in water. The crop of agricultural products is placed in airtight chambers, containers or storages in which the drug is contacted with water in a small container (or several containers). The result of this operation is the release of gaseous MCP from the preparation into the chamber volume, in which the fruits of vegetables and fruits, plants, etc. are located, where the gaseous MCP is directly contacted with fruits and plants.

The main disadvantage of this method is the relatively low storage time of processed fruits, especially perishable ones (cucumbers, tomatoes, green crops, etc.). In this regard, to increase the shelf life of fruits in practice, after processing the MCP, the creation of special conditions is required - a controlled atmosphere and a certain, usually low, temperature. In most cases, when transporting and storing small lots of fruits, such a requirement is not economically profitable, and in some cases it is practically impossible. Another way to store agricultural products is to store them in a modified gas environment (MGS), created due to the livelihoods of agricultural products and the selective gas permeability of the polymer materials into which they are packaged. This method is preferably used for storage of relatively small volumes of agricultural products, in particular during transportation to the consumer. (Polymer films for growing and storing fruits and vegetables. Edited by S.V. Genel and V.E. Gulya., Moscow, Chemistry, 1985.)

So, there is a known method of storing agricultural products in the MGS, packaged in a material having a certain number of microholes, eliminating or reducing the accumulation of moisture inside the package, the result of which is a reduced growth of bacteria and mold, softening of the fruits and, as a consequence, an increase in their shelf life. (US 5,492,705).

The disadvantage of this method is the low shelf life (7 days at 10 ° C), after which there is a decrease in the commercial quality of the products. A known method of storing fruits and vegetables (agricultural products) in

MGS using plastic packaging material up to 500 microns thick, having a vapor passability exceeding approximately 1.5 g mm / m ² per day at 38 ° C and relative humidity by 85-90%. It is noted that the use of such a material makes it possible to store products in an atmosphere that includes approximately 4-20% O ₂ , 0.5% -17% CO ₂ and has a relative humidity of 85-100%. As the plastic packaging material, preferably polyamide films (nylon 6 and nylon 66) are used with a thickness of 15-150 microns, having microparforations. Preferably, a plastic material is used having microperforations — holes with a diameter of 0.3 mm in diameter and a density of up to about 1000 holes per square meter of material (US 6190710).

The disadvantage of this method is the relatively short shelf life of fruits and vegetables. In this case, during storage, it is necessary to maintain the temperature below ambient temperature. So, when storing zucchini for 21 days at 10 ⁰ C, the spoiling process begins (2% of the total number of fruits). A similar decrease in quality is observed during storage:

- green beans at 5 ° C for 5 days and at 2O ⁰ C for 3 days;

- cucumbers at 8 ° C for 6 days and at 2O ⁰ C for 3 days;

- bananas at 14 ⁰ C for 45 days;

- wild strawberries at 1 ° C for 15 days. - melons at 7 and 11 ° C for 12 days. - broccoli at 0-1 ⁰ C for 9 days and an additional 4 days at 4 ° C. A known method of storing fruits and vegetables in the MGS using packaging material having a certain size and number of microperforations that maintain at a given level the concentration of water vapor, O ₂ and CO ₂ (US 6730874). It is noted that when storing broccoli for two weeks in plastic bags measuring 25.4 cm by 40.6 cm and a thickness of 50 microns, having 36 microperforations with an average size of 150 microns at 5 ° C, the products did not change their commercial quality (example 1) .

A similar situation was observed when cherries were stored at 1D ° C for 8 weeks in bags with a film insert of 100 microns thick and 125x102 cm in size (total microperforations - 646, size - 300 microns), and spinach at 5 ° C for 14 days. (36 microperforations, with an average diameter of 150 microns on an area of 6.45 cm ² )

The main disadvantage of this method is the need to use low temperatures during storage and short shelf life. The objective of the proposed method is to increase the shelf life of agricultural products.

This problem is solved by the method of storing agricultural crops at a low temperature in a modified gas environment created by the livelihoods of agricultural products, packaged in gas-permeable polymeric materials, including holding agricultural products before storing them in an atmosphere containing gaseous MCP.

Using this method allows you to drastically increase the shelf life of agricultural products, which significantly exceed even the sum of the shelf life of agricultural products when individually used individual methods - processing of the MPP and storage in the MGS. Those. when using one known technique together with another, an enhancing effect is observed, leading to a sharp increase in shelf life.

The following examples illustrate the method:

The creation of a modified gas medium is achieved due to the vital activity of the fruit when it is packaged in gas-permeable polymeric materials (films). To illustrate the method, polymer films according to US Pat. Nos. 6,190,710 and 6,730,874 are used as gas-permeable polymer materials.

As a source of MCP use the drug "Fitomag" obtained according to patent RU 2267272, containing 0.5 ÷ 2% of the mass of MCP. Aging of agricultural produce in an atmosphere containing gas shaped MCPs were carried out in sealed chambers in which the drug was contacted with water in a small container. As a result of the drug’s contact, the gaseous MCP was released from the drug into the chamber volume, and a certain concentration of MCP was created in the chamber atmosphere, in which the gaseous MCP was directly contacted with fruits and vegetables, plants, and plants. To illustrate the method, the concentration of MCP in the atmosphere of the chamber, usually did not exceed the value of 1 ppm (1000 pb).

The amount of the drug (Gpr) required to create a certain concentration of 1-methylcyclopropene (Smit) in the atmosphere of the container was calculated by the formula: G _P p = rv'Smtsp 'V-10 ^{~ 7} / Cχ, where: Gpr - amount of the drug (g) ; RV is the density of the atmosphere in the storage, g / m ³ ;

Smtsp - the necessary (required) concentration of MCP in the volume of the storage or container, ppb (mass part of MCP for a billion mass parts of the atmosphere); V is the volume of the storage or container, m ³ ;

Cx — the content of MCP in the preparation,% wt;

10 ^{~ 7} - conversion factor ppb in% of May.

This method was used to increase the shelf life of various agricultural products: tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, greens (parsley, dill, mint, coriander, green onions), plum, persimmon were divided into nine identical parts (lots).

The first control batch of fruits was placed in a container with a normal atmosphere and stored at low temperature.

The second batch of fruits was packaged in a gas-permeable film, the packaged fruits were placed in a container with a normal atmosphere and stored at a reduced temperature.

A batch of 3-5 fruits was placed in a container in which various concentrations of MCP were created. The fruits were kept in this atmosphere for a certain time. Then the container was filled with the usual atmosphere, in which it was stored at a low temperature. Lots 6-8 were placed in a container in which various concentrations were created.

MCP. The fruits were kept in this atmosphere for a certain time. After this, the fruits were packaged in a gas-permeable film and packaged were placed in a container with a normal atmosphere and stored at a reduced temperature.

The ninth batch of fruits was packed in a gas-permeable film, packed in a sealed container, in which a predetermined concentration was created MCP and stood in it for a certain time. After exposure to the atmosphere containing the MCP, the container was filled with the usual atmosphere and the fruits were stored in a film-packed form at a reduced temperature.

The shelf life of agricultural products was evaluated according to generally accepted standards with the release of high-quality products of at least 90%.

The results illustrating the advantages of this method are shown in tables 1 and 2.

A comparison of the shelf life of batches 1-5 and 6-9 shows that the processing of agricultural products in an atmosphere containing 500-1000 pp PPM before storage in a modified gas environment can significantly increase the shelf life of agricultural products, which is more than 2 times the shelf life of products in the MGS (not aged in the MPC atmosphere) and more than 1.5 times the shelf life of agricultural products (aged in the MPC atmosphere), but not packed in a polymer film. This method is not limited to the examples given. Similar results are observed when MCP is processed with other fruits and vegetables (bananas, melons, kiwi, mangoes, mushrooms, etc.) and their subsequent storage in MGS (packed in gas-permeable films of a similar type).

Other preparations containing MCP, as well as gaseous MCP obtained immediately after synthesis, for example, according to patent RU 2267477, can be used as a source of MCP.

Table 1. Shelf life (days) of agricultural products at a relative humidity of 85%.

Note:

Party 1 — Storage in a normal atmosphere;

Party 2 - The products are stored in a packaged film (film according to patent US 6190710, Brand "Xtend" bags 25x40 cm); Part 3 - Products before storage in a normal atmosphere are aged for 24 hours in an atmosphere containing 500 ppb MCP; Part 4 - Products before storage in a normal atmosphere are aged for 18 hours in an atmosphere containing 750 ppb MCP; Party 5 — Products before storage in a normal atmosphere are aged for 12 hours in an atmosphere containing 1000 rbb of MCP; Party 6 - Products before packaging in a film are aged for 24 hours in an atmosphere containing 500 ppb MCP, then packaged in a film according to patent US 6190710 (example 4) and placed in a normal atmosphere for storage;

Party 7 - Products before packaging in a film are aged for 18 hours in an atmosphere containing 750 ppb MCP, then packaged in a film according to the patent US6190710 (example 4) and placed in a normal atmosphere for storage;

Party 8 - Products before packaging in a film are aged for 24 hours in an atmosphere containing 1000 ppb MCP, then packaged in a film according to the patent US 6190710 (example 4) and placed in a normal atmosphere for storage;

Part 9 - Before storage, the products are packaged in a film according to the patent US6190710 (Example 4), then, in a packaged form, the products are aged for 48 hours in an atmosphere containing 1000 ppb MCP, and then in a packaged form are stored in a normal atmosphere;

Table 2. Shelf life (days) of agricultural products at a relative humidity of 75%.

Note:

Party 1 - Storage in a normal atmosphere;

Party 2 - Products are stored in a packaged film (film according to example 1 of US patent 6730874);

Part 3 - Products before storage in an ordinary atmosphere are aged for 36 hours in an atmosphere containing 1000 rbb of MCP; Part 4 - Products before storage in a normal atmosphere are aged for 24 hours in an atmosphere containing 750 ppb MCP; Party 5 - Products before storage in a normal atmosphere are aged for 12 hours in an atmosphere containing 500 ppb MCP; Party 6 - Products before packaging in a film are aged for 36 hours in an atmosphere containing 1000 ppb MCP, then packaged in a film according to patent US6730874 and placed in a normal atmosphere for storage;

Part 7 - Products before packaging in film are aged for 24 hours in an atmosphere containing 750 ppb MCP, then packaged in a film according to patent US6730874 and placed in a normal atmosphere for storage;

Party 8 - Products before packaging in a film are aged for 12 hours in an atmosphere containing 1000 ppb MCP, then packaged in a film according to patent US6730874 and placed in a normal atmosphere for storage;

Part 9 - Before storage, the products are packaged in a film according to US6730874, then, in a packaged form, the products are aged for 48 hours in an atmosphere containing 1000 ppb MCP, and then in a packaged form are stored in a normal atmosphere;

Claims

CLAIM

A method of storing agricultural products in a modified gas environment created by the livelihoods of agricultural products packaged in gas-permeable polymeric materials at low or normal temperature, characterized in that the agricultural products are kept in a gaseous atmosphere for 12-48 hours before laying for storage 1-methylcyclopropene.