Storage and shelf-life evaluation of Indian spinach beet (<i>Beta vulgaris </i>cv. Pusa Bharati) employing various packaging materials

Leafy vegetables are a common source of vitamins and minerals in the human diet; however, they have a short shelf life due to their high metabolic activity and poor storage conditions. Considering this point, the storage and shelf-life studies of Indian spinach beet (Beta vulgaris cv. Pusa Bharati) were executed under three storage conditions, i.e. ambient temperature (S0), Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) (S1) and Cold Room (S3) in combination with packaging material [Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) perforated (P1) and non-perforated (P2); Biodegradable perforated (P3) and non-perforated (P4); banana leaf (P5)]. The interaction between storage and packaging was studied by examining the effect on physicochemical characteristics, such as physiological loss in weight (PLW), ascorbic acid content (AA), spoilage, and overall acceptability, to evaluate quality and shelf life. It was observed that PLW% increased rapidly and AA decreased rapidly in ambient conditions across all treatments. In Cold room conditions, a minimum increase in PLW% and a minimum decrease in AA were recorded, with the highest mean coupled with LDPE. S2P2 obtained the highest overall acceptability score, extending the shelf life of produce up to 8 days. S1P0 recorded the minimum increase in PLW and the minimum decrease in firmness, and AA extended shelf life by up to 4 days. However, in terms of overall profit in storing vegetables in different systems, S1P0 showed a higher Benefit-Cost (B-C) ratio than the other conditions. Furthermore, S1P5 and S2P5 showed similar results to S1P2 and S2P2, acting as a barrier to minimize metabolic activity for a shorter duration.