Effects of CO2 absorbent and high-pressure treatment on the shelf-life of packaged Kimchi products

Abstract

Abstract Summary The effects on extending the shelf-life of commercial Kimchi products and preventing pouch inflation by absorbing CO2 with calcium hydroxide, were compared with a treatment using high-hydrostatic pressure. The changes in the quality factors of Kimchi, such as CO2 accumulation in the headspace of the pouch, pH, total acidity and the microbial population of both total viable cells and lactic acid bacteria were measured during storage for 24 days at 10 °C. Pressurization at 400 and 600 MPa for 5 min at 20 °C were both effective in preventing inflation of the Kimchi pouches during storage at 10 °C, as was CO2 absorption at the level of 0.5 g CO2 absorbent per 80 g Kimchi.