Latest developments on ethylene scavenging in the active packaging of produce

Ethylene is a simple gas molecule having biochemical activities at extremely low concentrations in plant cells. Stimulation of the ripening and senescence processes is the most critical effect of ethylene on the postharvest quality and shelf life of fresh produce. Controlling ethylene biosynthesis and its exposure to fresh produce are very important tools among postharvest technologies.

Ethylene scavengers can have physical, chemical, or no interactions with ethylene. Some scavengers can physically adsorb ethylene, while others chemically oxidize it. They reduce the ethylene concentrations in the environment and thus control the impact of ethylene on the quality of the products.

Another way of controlling ethylene action is by inhibiting ethylene binding to its receptors rather than direct interaction with ethylene. This group of scavengers binds ethylene receptors in the cells making them unavailable for ethylene. Active packaging with ethylene scavengers can be a convenient approach for the inhibition of ethylene-induced degradations in fresh produce.

The ethylene scavengers can be integrated with packaging materials or included in the headspace of the package through small sachets or pads in the active packaging concept. Sachet systems with some specific common scavengers have been utilized commercially for a long time.

The integration of scavengers into the packaging materials has been of great interest with some success, but it remains a challenge to obtain sufficient scavenging activity with the desired packaging characteristics maintained. This chapter discusses the latest developments and the accumulated know-how on the use of ethylene scavenging in the active packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Sources

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781394189595.ch6
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394189595.ch6