• Modified atmosphere packaging preserved the “green shoulders” of strawberry tomatoes. • PLA, PLA+PBAT, and PE100 lent an off-flavor of strawberry tomatoes. • PE80 maintained flavor and aroma attributes of strawberry tomatoes. • Strawberry tomatoes were recommended stored in an atmosphere with 7 % O 2 and 8 % CO 2 at 16 °C. This study investigated the effects of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on green shoulder retention, flavor and quality of mature green strawberry tomatoes during shelf life. Initially, three packaging materials, included polyethylene (PE), polylactic acid (PLA), and a composite of polylactic acid and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PLA+PBAT), were tested under simulated shelf temperature condition (16 ± 1 °C). Parameters including gas concentration, sensory attributes, and reddening index were analyzed. Based on preliminary screening results, the study further explored the impact of different thicknesses (PE60, PE80, PE100) on quality parameters, physiological changes, and pigment metabolism. Results demonstrated that packaging materials delayed the ripening of green-mature strawberry tomatoes compared to the control; however, PLA and PLA+PBAT lent an off-flavor. Therefore, PE was selected for further experiments. PE60, PE80, and PE100 packaging delayed ripening by 4 d, 6 d, and 8 d, respectively, which was longer than that of the control packaging with 2 d. However, PE100 caused severe gas injury and fruit softening due to high ethanol accumulation (117.02 mg kg -1 ). Regarding shelf life, characteristic flavor was maintained up to day 8 in PE80-packaged tomatoes. Furthermore, soluble sugar and ascorbic acid content in the PE80 group were hihger than in the control and PE60 groups. The gas composition in PE80 package was 7 % ± 1 % O 2 and 8 % ± 1 % CO 2 . Thus, the shelf life of strawberry tomato can be extended by using PE80 packaging or stored in an atmosphere with gas composition of 7 % O 2 and 8 % CO 2 at 16 °C.
Zhiying et al. (2026) studied this question.