Effects of modified atmospheric packaging configuration on spoilage mould growth in damaged packages of fresh pasta

Damaged packages of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) containing food affect the growth of spoilage mould, leading to rejection of the product by the consumer before the use-by date. The effects of MAP configuration (CO2 concentration, initial gas volume) and storage temperature on the “rejection time” were investigated for fresh pasta, using packaging perforated with different micro-hole dimensions. The temperature was a significant factor that determined the rejection time; however, an interaction effect between MAP configuration and micro-hole in the damaged packages was also observed. This work showed that the micro-hole dimension in damaged packages determined the gas exchange ratio through the perforations and its competition with CO2 dissolution in the product. The CO2 transmission rate was found to increase with an increasing diameter of microhole in the packaging (r = 0.99; p < 0.05). These results suggested that CO2 dissolution was likely to occur in damaged packages containing micro-hole of <0.3 mm. Here, the appropriate MAP configuration could extend the rejection time of damaged packages to inhibit spoilage mould growth, and the best results were achieved using >50 % CO2 concentration in the gases used.