Bagging Chopped Lettuce in Selected Permeability Films

Abstract
Chopped `Salinas' crisphead lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was packaged in four types of polymeric films and stored at 1 or 5C for 14 days. Discoloration and off-flavors developed in lettuce stored in the two films in which the naturally produced CO2 rose above 20%. In the two films (oriented low-density polyethylene) with O2 transmission rates higher than 3000 ml·m-2· day-1·atm-1 at 22C, CO2 remained below 20%, O2 was between ≈ 2% and 15%, and the lettuce was acceptable after 14 days of storage at either 1 or 5C. Appearance and flavor were affected more by temperature than by length of storage.

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