JPH03133902A - Method for preserving freshness of plant - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To safely and simply preserve the freshness of vegetables, fruits, flowers, etc., by bring the plants into contact with a plant freshness-preserving gel comprising a polymer water-absorbing material, a freshness-retaining agent and water. CONSTITUTION:A gel for retaining the freshness of a plant comprises 0.3-3wt.% of a polymeric water-absorbing material (e.g. sodium polyacrylate, sodium alginate, agar or carboxymethylcellulose), 1-3wt.% of freshness-retaining agent (e.g. ascorbic acid or tocopherol) and water. The gel is prepared by gradually adding the water to a powdery composition comprising the polymeric water- absorbing material and the freshness-retaining agent just before the use thereof so as to give the above-mentioned concentration and, if necessary, slightly heating and cooling the mixture. On the practical employment of the gel, the gel is charged in a container such as corrugate board container or foamed polystyrene container in a thickness of approximately 5mm in the case of broccoli or cauliflower or in a thickness of approximately 10mm in the case of asparagus or Welsh onion, brought into contact with the plant and subsequently delivered to a market.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method for preserving the freshness of plants, and more particularly to a method for preserving the freshness of vegetables, fruits and vegetables, flowers, etc.

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention] It is important to distribute vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, green onions, cauliflower, and chives, fruits and vegetables, and flowers while preserving their freshness as much as possible. It is.

Traditionally, in order to maintain the freshness of these vegetables at the time of harvest during distribution, they were shaped and then placed upright in vertical cases such as cardboard or Styrofoam, such as broccoli, asparagus, green onions, cauliflower, chives, etc. Vegetables and flowers are packed with their roots facing down, and fruits such as tomatoes are packed with their stems (tops) facing up. This is because, in general, when stored in the state at the time of growth, less ethylene is generated, and the storage stability is better, especially when there are fewer scratches or shocks during storage.

In addition, for broccoli and the like, methods are used in which the entire product is wrapped in a thin film, and a freshness-preserving agent is applied or sprayed on the cut surface immediately after harvesting before being placed in a storage case.

However, these methods have disadvantages in that the moisture in the plants is easily volatilized, the freshness-keeping effect is insufficient, and there are safety issues depending on the freshness-keeping agent used.

Therefore, recently, after the plants are packed in cases as described above, the cases are pre-cooled to lower the temperature of the plants, and then distributed in refrigerated trucks.

However, even with this method, the operation is complicated,
It also had the problem of being economically disadvantageous.

[Means to solve the problem]

Under these circumstances, the present inventors have conducted intensive research to solve the above problems, and have found that the freshness of plants can be maintained safely and easily by using a gel prepared by mixing a freshness-preserving agent with a polymeric absorbent. They found this and completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention provides a method for preserving the freshness of plants, which comprises bringing the plants into contact with a gel containing a polymeric absorbent, a freshness-preserving agent, and water; The present invention provides a freshness-keeping gel, a container filled with the gel for keeping plants fresh, and a powder composition used for preparing the gel.

The polymer absorbent used in the present invention refers to a polymer that has the ability to retain water by absorbing water and gelling it, such as sodium polyacrylate, sodium alginate, and carboxymethyl cellulose (CM), which are food additives.
C) Examples include natural products such as agar, pectin, and gums. In addition to these starch-based and cellulose-based polymer absorbers, those selected from synthetic polymers such as polyacrylates, polyvinyl alcohol-based, polyacrylamide-based, polyoxyethylene-based, etc. may also be used. good. The amount of these polymer absorbers used is usually preferably 0.3 to 3% by weight (hereinafter simply referred to as %) based on the entire gel, particularly 0.5 to 1% in the case of sodium polyacrylate, and 0.5 to 1% in the case of agar. 1-3% for sodium alginate, 0.3-2% for sodium alginate, 1-3% for CMC
is preferred.

In addition, freshness-preserving agents include ascorbic acid and its sodium salt, vitamins such as tocopherol (vitamin E) and nicotinamide; amino acids such as monosodium L-glutamate, glycine and L-ributophane; fumaric acid, citric acid, and malic acid. and organic acids such as natural gallic acid; and extracts of other plants. Furthermore, commercially available products such as Guivet (a combination of ascorbic acid or its sodium salt, natural gallic acid, and lactose) and Patrol (a combination of ascorbic acid, fumaric acid, and natural gallic acid) can also be used. The amount of these freshness-preserving agents used is preferably 1 to 3% based on the entire gel.

These polymer absorbers and freshness-preserving agents can be used alone or in an appropriate combination of two or more.

Immediately before use, water is added little by little to the powder composition containing the above-mentioned polymer absorbent and freshness-preserving agent mixed together to achieve the above-mentioned concentration, and if necessary, after being heated slightly, the composition is cooled. A gel for preserving the freshness of plants according to the invention is obtained. When the polymeric absorbent is agar, it is necessary to boil it briefly once, and the freshness-preserving agent is added when cooling after boiling. Further, in the case of sodium alginate, it is necessary to pay attention to the pH, and it is preferable that the final pH of the gel is 5.5 to 6.5.

In the present invention, in addition to the above-mentioned essential ingredients, synthetic preservatives such as potassium sorbate, organic acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid, natural preservatives such as extracts of bark, plant seeds and spices, and Kusaya extract, nutritional sources, It is also possible to add a water absorption promoter such as a surfactant.

To carry out the method of the present invention, the gel for preserving the freshness of plants obtained as described above is filled into a suitable container, and after harvesting, the plants are brought into contact with the gel after being shaped as necessary. Bye. In the case of broccoli, asparagus, flowers, etc., the contact surface of the plant is preferably a surface cut horizontally at the lower part of the plant, since the freshness-preserving agent is gradually absorbed from the cut end.

As containers to be filled with the gel of the present invention, cardboard sheets, styrofoam containers, etc., which are generally used for transporting and preserving plants, are preferable. Furthermore, by filling a vase with the gel of the present invention, it is possible to save the effort of replacing water, and even if the vase falls over, there will be no water damage, thereby eliminating damage.

Filling with the gel of the present invention can be carried out, for example, by pouring the gel obtained as described above into the bottom of a container and solidifying it to the extent that it does not flow. Alternatively, the gel can be filled in a sealed container made of synthetic resin film in advance, and the gel can be removed from the container before use, or one side of the container can be peeled off and used in various containers for transporting or preserving plants. May be filled.

On the other hand, it is also possible to fill the sealed container with an aqueous solution or a mixture containing water of the powder composition used to prepare the gel, and then heat and cool the gel at the time of use to create a gel, which is then filled into various containers. It is.

The amount of the gel of the present invention to be used depends on the number of storage days and the type of plant used.
Although it depends on the size of the container to be filled, the preservation effect can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the gel as necessary. For example, in the case of broccoli and cauliflower, a gel thickness of about 5 mm, and in the case of asparagus, green onions, chives, etc., a gel thickness of about 10 mm will keep the green color and freshness for a long time immediately after harvest. can be maintained throughout.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be further explained by examples.

Example 1 Sodium polyacrylate 0.5g Ascorbic acid 0.5g Ascorbic sodium 0.5 total
1.5 g of the above formulation was mixed to obtain a powder composition used for preparing a gel for keeping plants fresh.

Example 2 Agar (for DIFCQ medium) 1.0g
Ascorbic acid 0.5g Ascorbic sodium 05 total
2.0 g of the above formulation was mixed to obtain a powder composition used for preparing a gel for keeping plants fresh.

Example 3 Using the powder compositions obtained in Example 1 and Example 2, a freshness-keeping gel shown in Table 1 below was prepared, and the lower stems of broccoli and asparagus (green) were placed horizontally on the gel. The cut surfaces were brought into contact and observed for changes in green color and degree of fading. The results are shown in Table 1.

In addition, when the polymeric absorber is sodium polyacrylate, water is added little by little to the mixture of sodium polyacrylate and the freshness-preserving agent to form a paste, and then water is added gradually to form a viscous gel. .

If the polymer absorber is agar, add water little by little to the agar to make it into a gel, then boil it and while cooling it, add a freshness preserving agent and stir well to make the whole into a viscous gel. . The thickness of the gel is about 5 mm for broccoli and about 10 mm for asparagus.

1 Medical standard @+: Those that retain their green color and freshness immediately after harvest; +: Those whose original green color is starting to fade; +: Those whose green color has further faded ±: Those that have become mostly yellow-green and are about to wither. ; The blank space left behind when leaves turn yellow and wither [Effects of the Invention] According to the method of the present invention, the freshness of vegetables, fruits and vegetables, flowers, etc. can be maintained safely and easily.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for preserving the freshness of plants, which comprises bringing the plants into contact with a gel containing a polymeric absorbent, a freshness-preserving agent, and water. 2. A gel for preserving the freshness of plants containing a polymeric absorbent, a freshness-preserving agent, and water. 3. A container for keeping plants fresh, filled with a gel containing a polymeric absorbent, a freshness-preserving agent, and water. 4. A powder composition containing a polymer absorbent and a freshness-preserving agent and used for preparing a gel for preserving the freshness of plants.