MAP effect onf the postharvest life of fruits and vegetables

The postharvest loss of fruits has been in its soaring high ever since the pandemic hit, among the plethora of management practices, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), is a technique to enhance the shelf life and maintain the quality of products through the alterations in gases concentration by encompassing them (product packaging). The fruits are a highly respiring commodity, so for the selection of films/packaging material for this purpose, the permeability to carbon dioxide and oxygen gases is of utmost consideration. The gases that play a key role in MAP such as O2, CO2, and nitrogen, sometimes Argon (Ar), and the individual composition of gases varies depending on crop and the storage method. For MAP, the choice of gas composition inside the package depends on the type of fruits (based on sensitivity), etc. that are being packed. The MAP enhances the shelf life of fruits by altering the microenvironment, thereby reducing respiration and increasing shelf life. The fruits either fresh or minimally processed are packed using active MAP and passive MAP for better quality and shelf-life enhancement. The present review reveals the effect of MAP on the shelf-life of fruits through the use of various packaging materials and summarizes recent advances/developments in the same field. ContentsIntroductionPackaging materials in MAPPrinciples of MAPMechanism of modified atmosphere packagingRole of MAP in increasing shelf life of fruitsDelay in Ripening and SenescenceReduction in weight lossEffect of MAP on the Shelf-life of fruitsImpact of MAP on senescenceFuture challenges for MAPConclusion ConclusionModified atmosphere packaging leads to an extension of shelf?life and maintaining the good quality of fruits and? vegetables.?According to this concept, the packaging of food in an?atmosphere the composition of which is continuouslymodified, according to the desired profile. The shelf life of the?product is extended due to the reduced respiration,?transpiration rate, increased CO2, and decreased O2?concentration inside the packing of the product. The decrease?in transpiration rate resulted in reduced ethylene synthesis?which delays ripening. Moreover, microbial contamination is?also decreased due to low moisture content inside the?package. Among various package films, Low- Density?Polyethylene films are considered as one of the best low-cost?and effective packaging films in increasing shelf life. There is?utmost need to generate awareness about this concept and tomake this technique more feasible and viable under the?conditions of our country (*). (*) India The figure 1 is Fig 1 of the original paper - Mechanism of MAP in fruits SourcesPostharvest life of fruits as influenced by modified atmosphere packaging (MAP): A mini reviewM Kundana, Smruthi Jayarajan and Jatinder SinghThe Pharma Innovation Journal 2022; SP-11(6): 40-47https://www.thepharmajournal.com/archives/2022/vol11issue6S/PartA/S-11-5-199-173.pdf