Physical and chemical characteristics of taro according to storage time and packaging material

Abstract

There is a deficiency of information on the production chain of unconventional vegetables. Increasing the knowledge about the conservation potential and ideal conditions of storage of taro rhizomes can enlarge the opportunities of commercialization of the product. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the cold storage period associated with the type of packaging on the physical-chemical characteristics of taro rhizomes. The experiment was carried out from September to November 2017, in Brasília - DF. Two types of packaging were used: polystyrene and kraft paper. The physico-chemical evaluation of the rhizomes was performed biweekly, in five different storage periods in a cold room, at 20˚C. The experimental design was 2 x 5 factorial, with 3 replicates. The following parameters were evaluated: moisture, pH, titratable acidity, mass loss and taro staining. Paper packaging proved to be feasible for the storage of taro rhizomes in cold rooms, preserving their physico-chemical characteristics, and maintaining product shelf life for 60 days.