@article{article_764749, title={Effect of Packaging on the Quality and Shelf-life of Minimally Processed/Ready to Eat Foods}, journal={Akademik Gıda}, volume={9}, pages={36–41}, year={2011}, author={Ayhan, Zehra}, keywords={Ready-to-eat,Minimal processing,Packaging,Modified atmosphere packaging,Nanomaterials}, abstract={Ready-to-eat/use products are a rapidly growing sector in the market because of increased consumer demand for fresh, healthy, convenient and additive-free prepared products. However, especially freshly prepared food items are highly perishable and prone to major spoilage mechanisms of enzymatic discoloration, moisture loss and microbial growth. Good manufacturing practices along with appropriate packaging materials are required to control these spoilage mechanisms. Ready-to-eat or minimally processed food products and their packaging requirements should be examined under two categories: 1 respiring horticultural products like minimally processed fresh-cut fruits and vegetables and 2 non-respiring products like ready-to-eat/use products such as meat, dairy or other products. The former products require highly permeable packaging material to oxygen and carbon dioxide in order to provide gas equilibrium inside the package. The gas equilibrium could be established if the product respiratory characteristics match to film permeability. For this purpose, modified atmosphere packaging MAP is used extensively to keep the product quality and increase the shelf-life. The key for successful MAP of freshly prepared produce is to use packaging film of correct permeability so as to establish optimum equilibrium atmosphere of 3-10% O2 and 3-10% CO2. For non-respiring ready-to-eat products, barrier packaging material is required to increase their shelf-life, and vacuum packaging, modified atmosphere packaging or active packaging technologies or their combination can be applied using multilayered plastic packaging materials with low permeability of especially oxygen and moisture. Nanomaterials with improved barrier properties can be an alternative to multilayered plastics to improve food quality and increase shelf-life}, number={4}, publisher={Sidas Medya Ltd. Şti.}