Effect of an XXXX scavenger on the stability of preservative-free flour tortillas.

@entity2315 @entity691 @entity26 @entity375 @entity1054
Along with purge and moisture control, @entity26 scavenging is a prominent active packaging technology employed by many food processors. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of an @entity26 scavenger system (OSS) on the shelf life of preservative-free tortillas stored at varying storage conditions. The shelf life of the tortillas was evaluated at @entity2315 ( @entity2315 ; 37   C, 75% relative humidity [rh]), @entity1054 ( @entity1054 ; 22   C, 57% rh), and refrigeration (R; 4   C, 42% rh) conditions. The OSS consisted of a multilayer, coextruded bag paired with an @entity26 scavenger sachet. A resealable bag made of low-density @entity691 /linear low-density @entity691 was used as a control. The diameter, thickness, CIELab color, water activity, pH, texture, and microbial growth within the sample tortillas were measured before and after exposure to the storage conditions. The results showed that the OSS had superiority when compared to the control. The weight and thickness under @entity1054 remained unchanged, while lightness was superior to the control under R conditions. Under @entity2315 , gradient remained constant, and force followed the same pattern under @entity1054 and R conditions. At the same time, microbial growth as measured by aerobic plate count and @entity375 and molds showed no changes under both @entity2315 and @entity1054 conditions. Future studies will investigate the effect of a faster acting @entity26 scavenger on shelf life of this type of tortillas. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results of this study show promise for the use of @entity26 scavenging technology in the packaging of natural and preservative-free tortillas.
