Effect of storage temperature and packaging systems on the quality of packaged frozen carrots

Frozen packaged vegetables may be exposed to fluctuating environmental conditions during storage. This may result in an increase in amount of frost in the headspace of a packaged frozen vegetable, and thus consumer avoidance, and problems with weight compliance may occur.; The main objective of this work was to understand the origin of frost ice and test the effect of frozen storage and packaging systems on product quality. A secondary objective was to develop a mathematical relationship to predict frost ice formation.; Baby cut carrots were blanched, frozen and stored at −20°C in nylon/PE and LDPE bags and vacuum and atmospheric filling processes, as well as perforated and non-perforated bags were used. Samples were drawn at monthly intervals for 6 months and evaluated for product weight loss, product color and product appearance. Half of the carrots were transferred to a retail refrigeration unit one week prior to evaluation.; Frost ice was found to increase with storage time and selection of material. Frost decreased when the permeability of the package material was altered using perforations. The less frost ice, the more positively the carrots were perceived by a panel.; The frost ice data fit well (R2 > 0.70) as a quality parameter using a first order kinetic-like expression. Using data from different packaging systems and storage temperatures, model parameters were calculated to predict frost formation.