Nimisha Narayan

• BSc (Hons) Food & Human Nutrition (NUIS)
• Influence of Packaging material on the shelf life of hydroponically produced Chinese chard

Hydroponic farming is a relatively new farming practice in Singapore and research on the ideal packaging material is limited. The ideal packaging material should protect the produce from physical damage and maintain the appropriate moisture content to ensure edibility. This project aimed to explore the influence of different packaging materials on the shelf-life of hydroponic Chinese chard. The materials tested were Clingwrap, Ziploc bags with vents, muslin cloth, paper towels and the original plastic packaging. Leaves were repackaged into the above-mentioned materials and monitored for perishability over 2 weeks. The moisture content of leaf samples was measured biweekly. Results obtained indicate that plastic-based materials were better at maintaining the moisture content as compared with muslin cloth and paper towel. This could be attributed to plastic’s permeability characteristics that allow favourable transmission rates of oxygen and carbon dioxide. For future studies, plastic packaging material with different permeability levels can be tested.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Supervisor: Dr Saloni Kaur Dang