Application of complex radiation and refrigeration technology for antiseptic treatment and preservation of the quality of mushrooms
The use of effective physical processing methods to preserve food and agricultural products is gaining more and more popularity every year. This article presents a complex technology, including processing by accelerated electrons with doses of 1-3 kGy at a beam energy of 5 MeV. The efficiency of application of processing with accelerated electrons and modification of the composition of the gaseous medium for optimization of the technology of refrigerated storage of champignon mushrooms has been investigated. The technology parameters have been established to ensure microbiological safety and preservation of the consumer qualities of mushrooms under production conditions. The treatment with accelerated electrons at doses of 1-3 kGy in combination with cooling and modification of the composition of the gaseous medium delayed the postharvest maturation processes and led to an increase in the storage time of mushrooms up to 20 days (control 10-14 days). The modification of the composition of the gaseous medium was ensured by the selective gas permeability of the used packaging material (polypropylene, polyethylene, biaxially oriented polypropylene) and the respiration of the raw material. Depending on the intended purpose of the product - fresh sale or further processing (drying, freezing, etc.), the technology under consideration, due to the differentiated choice of technological parameters of storage and processing, allows to control changes in organoleptic, physicochemical and microbiological indicators of the quality of mushrooms in a targeted manner. Packaging made of biaxially oriented polypropylene and polypropylene should be used for mushrooms for processing, due to the best preservation of the structure of plant tissue, as a result of slowing down the ripening processes and delaying aging and spoilage, for the sale of fresh mushrooms, it is most effective to use polyethylene packaging.