Package shrinking of commercially packed food products

Abstract

Since quality deterioration and package shrinking of commercially packed food product is a common problem, a study was carried out using 6 kg of clean finger millet (kurakkan seeds). The seed sample was divided into two equal portions and one portion was subjected to heat treatment at 90 °C for 5 minutes. The two portions were ground separately and divided into two equal portions again. Moisture content of each was brought to 10% and 14% by heating and re-hydration. Four samples, generated out of these treatments were replicated thrice and stored under normal environmental conditions for 3 months. Random samples were drawn from each treatment monthly, to determine starch content in terms of starch iodine blue value, development of FFAand package shrinking, measured by using Archimedes law. Result revealed that development of FFA in raw millet powder at high moisture content (FFA- 85%) was more significant than the counter treatment (FFA - 35%). Starch iodine blue value of heat treated low moisture sample (0.169) was very closed to the initial value (0.174), even after 3 months of shelf life. High percentage of volume reduction (package shrinking) also occurred in raw millet powder at high moisture content 10.2% as against it’s counter treatment, which is 5.5%. Hence the best treatment was the heat treatment (90 °C for 5 min)