A perforated area of around 5 ?m?/cm? of bag surface maintain the trading quality of white asparagus for 6 days under shelf-like conditions

White asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is in the top 30 most consumed vegetables in the world. Fresh asparagus deteriorates rapidly and is sensitive to dehydration and colour change (greening and/or reddening). It maintains its freshness for up to 3 days under storage conditions. We present a case study of shelf-life extension. Having determined the rate of respiration at 20?C, various films with different permeability were tested, obtained by several choices of number and diameter of holes (range of perforated area between 0 and 15.104 ?m?/cm? of bag surface).? The CO2% target inside the packaging in the equilibrium stage is between 5 and 10. The colour, weight loss and sensorial quality were assessed after 6 to 8 days under shelf-like conditions. The bunches of spears (about 500g) were unwrapped (control) or wrapped in different flow-packs with a 30 ?m polypropylene film to create a high-moisture environment and modified atmosphere around the product. The bunches were then placed for 6 to 8 days under shop shelf-like conditions for 13 hours (LED light between 800 and 1 200 lux at 18?C and 60% RH) and under storage room conditions for 11 hours (in the dark at 6?C and 80% RH). Results highlighted that the packaging, irrespective of permeability, contributes to limiting fresh weight loss. The visual criteria (colour) is preserved within a performed area range of between 3 and 12 ?m?/cm? bag surface. Higher level (macroperforated film) negatively impacts the texture (increase fibrous and crispness). On another hand, this study revealed that if permeability is too low then anoxia and fermentation rapidly occur causing the bag to inflate and produce unpleasant odours when opened. Furthermore, certain sensorial criteria change such as higher bitterness and loss of sugar perception. The intermediate permeabilities (microperforated films) have little effect on the taste of the product which remains the closest to the fresh product. The study established that a perforated area of around 5 ?m?/cm? of bag surface allows the establishment of very good gas equilibrium (9.7% CO2 and 9.5% O2) and helps maintain the trading quality of white asparagus for 6 days under shelf-like conditions. ? SourcesMaintaining the quality of white asparagus by using packagingAurore M?ryDSTFL-?quipe L?gumes, Ctifl, centre de Lanxade,28 route des N?bouts, 24130 Prigonrieux,VIII International Postharvest Symposium; Cartagena, Spain, 21-24 June 2016 Picture taken of?Wikipedia