Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the effect of a novel active packaging pad that affectively scavenges ethylene
evolved by climacteric fruits and thereby delayed their ripening process. These active packaging pads were developed
by using rice husk and eggshell with the help of binder. Two different types of ethylene scavenging pads were
formulated i.e. fine rice-husk (P1) and composite rice husk along with eggshell powder (P2). Green but matured
tomatoes were stored in plastic container with P1, P2 and without pad as control. The delay in ripening tomato samples
in both P1 and P2 was observed as compared to control in same conditions of temperature (30 ± 2Cº) and humidity (60
± 2%). During ripening process weight loss, pH, soluble solids, titratable acidity, phenolic, chlorophyll, carotinoids,
betacarotene contents were evaluated and compared with the control. Adsorbing capacity of ethylene was found to be
0.377, 0.344, 0.306, 0.295 and 0.27 mmol/g in (P1) storage container and almost similar results were obtained for (P2)
that showed eggshell has no role in adsorbing of ethylene gas. Tomatoes stored in (P1) as well as (P2) as ethylene
scavenger significantly delayed ripening rate up to 40% and extended shelf life by 12 days.
