SENSORY EVALUATION OF STRAWBERRY FRUIT STORED UNDER MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING (MAP) BY QUANTITATIVE DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS

Strawberries unpackaged or packaged in high barrier film pouches flushed with carbon dioxide, mixed gas, or air were stored at 1-degrees-C for 10 days. Sensory data evaluated by quantitative descriptive analysis showed significant differences among the different treatments and storage time. Principal component analysis indicated that the changes in sensory quality of samples under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) were mainly a contrast of desirable attributes (strawberry odor, sweetness and texture) vs undesirable attributes (off-odor, fermented and musty odors, and bitterness). Packaged strawberries treated with air retained desirable attributes longer than those treated with mixed gas or carbon dioxide, while unpackaged strawberries developed fungal growth after 6 days.