Quality of Green Beans, Bell Peppers and Spinach Stored in Polyethylene Bags

Quality attributes of packaged and unpackaged vegetables generally decreased nonlinearly during storage at 10°C or 20°C, and most of the decrease was greater at 20°C than at 10°C. Packaging reduced weight loss of green beans and spinach kept at 20°C; and reduced chlorophyll loss of green beans at 10°C and of spinach at 20°C. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) benefited by packaging of green beans and spinach kept at 10°C. Packaging had an effect on thiamin (vitamin B 1 ) of only spinach held at 10°C and 20°C and had no effect on riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ). Loss of these quality attributes appears to be enhanced with water loss.