1. Spoilage characteristics of field pea under adverse storage conditions.
- Author
-
Dadgar, S., Tabil, L. G., Crerar, W. J., and Morrall, R. A. A.
- Subjects
- *
PEA research , *HUMIDITY , *TEMPERATURE , *FUNGI , *MOLDS (Fungi) , *FOOD storage , *FOOD spoilage , *MOISTURE content of food , *CARBON dioxide , *THERMAL properties - Abstract
Field pea is the most produced and exported pulse crop in Canada. Canadian field pea exported to countries with tropical climates is at particular risk due to rapid deterioration. It is therefore important to develop practical strategies for safe storage of field pea, which is most often exported as animal feed. This study was conducted to examine the conditions that lead to mold growth during the storage and transport of field pea. Tropical and subtropical conditions were simulated in airtight chambers. Relative humidities (RH) of 60, 70, 80, and 90% and temperatures of 10, 20, 30, and 40°C were used. Both whole sound pea and feed-grade pea were observed for changes in moisture content (MC) and mold appearance at different time intervals. Concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced during storage was measured in airtight chambers to control the condition existing in sealed containers. Molds were identified after their appearance on the samples. Mold-free days for both feed-grade pea and whole sound pea were modeled at temperatures of 10, 20, 30, and 40°C and RH of 80 and 90%. It was found that if the temperature and RH exceeded 20°C, and 80%, respectively, the shelf-life of both whole sound pea and feed-grade pea was shortened to 35 and 40 days, respectively. Whole sound pea was contaminated by storage fungi, whereas feed-grade pea was contaminated by both storage and field fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009