Preserving fruit with MA membrane

Vietnamese and Korean experts have cooperated to research and successfully apply a special film to preserve some fruits in Vietnam. This is an additional measure to prolong life and keep the quality of fruits after harvest.

The fabric was preserved with MA membrane at the appropriate cold temperature after three weeks (left) and the fabric was not preserved with MA membranes but kept at the appropriate cold temperature after three weeks.

Mangoes are preserved with MA membranes at appropriate cold temperatures (right) and control mangoes

Fruit preservation technique by MA method (Modified Atmosphere translated as " Adjusted Atmosphere ") is currently used in many countries around the world, for many fruits, such as the Philippines, South Africa.

However, in Vietnam, MA membranes have not been studied systematically and thoroughly and have not been used. From that fact, experts from the Institute of Technology Application and the Korea Food Technology Institute have cooperated to research and apply this technology in Vietnam.

According to Associate Prof. Dr. Dang Xuyen Nhu, project leader of Vietnam side, MA membrane is essentially polyethylene (PE) film containing a mineral available in our country, not toxic. When used to wrap the fruit trays, the interaction between the membrane and the fruit causes the atmosphere in the tray to have the appropriate concentration of CO2 and O2 for each fruit. Therefore, the film helps extend the preservation time, keep the quality and ensure the safety of the fruit. However, MA membranes alone cannot yield the above results, but must be combined with proper storage of fruits at cold temperatures.

Over the past years, Dr. Nhu and Dr. Dong Man Kim have been testing MA films of different thickness to preserve Tien Giang mango and Luc Ngan cloth at proper cold temperature (each fruit is kept at a temperature different cold). As a result, the research team has succeeded in determining the appropriate thickness of the MA membrane in mango preservation and fabric, extending the shelf life to 3-4 weeks and the fruit retains good color and quality. If there is no MA membrane, after a few days the mango and the fabric are all broken, although stored at cold temperatures. The test was conducted on a small scale (about 1 ton of fruit each).

From the above success, the research team has experimented to preserve the fabric with MA membrane and put it to sell at the supermarket at the end of the fabric season, getting good results. At this point, the group will conduct a larger-scale trial as well as a number of measures to reduce the amount of mold and microorganisms on the fruit surface to increase the effectiveness of MA membranes. At present, the price of MA film is not yet estimated, but Dr. Nhu affirmed that the film will make the price of the product negligible.

Minh Son