Gamma radiation processing for extending shelf-life and ensuring quality of minimally processed ready-to-eat onions.

Onions are always in high demand owing to various culinary as well as health protective properties and these days there is increased consumer preference for ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook onions. In this context, the current study was aimed to extend the keeping quality of minimally processed onions for an extended period while ensuring microbial safety as well as sprouting inhibition through an integrated approach. The optimized combinatorial approach included gamma radiation treatment (D60 Gy), minimal processing (de-skinning and scooping) and packaging in trays wrapped with polypropylene (PP; 10 µm thick) film followed by storage at low temperature (4-6 °C, relative humidity RH 65-70%).

Irradiation in combination with higher storage temperatures maintains chip-making quality of potato.

Freshly harvested and well-suberized potato (Solanum tuberosum) of varieties Kufri Jyoti, Lady Rosata, Kufri Laukar, and Hermises were processed by radiation at 78/149 Gy (D(min)/D(max)) dose and stored at 12 +/- 2 degrees C for 8 mo from March to October for assessment of chip-making quality. The firmness of the tubers in all the varieties processed remained unchanged during the period of storage. Chips of the desirable quality could be prepared from 7-mo stored Lady Rosata, Hermises, and Kufri Jyoti varieties, whereas, in Kufri Laukar, the quality chips could be prepared with tubers stored not beyond 5 mo.