Effect of chemical preservatives and packaging treatment on storage quality of peeled shallot onion.

The study was conducted for increasing the availability of ready-to-serve fresh-peeled onion (shallot) in the consumer market and to determine the quality of the product during storage. The peeled shallot was treated in chemical solutions of 2 % CaCl₂ (T1), 0.05 % sodium benzoate (T2), 0.2 % citric acid (T3), and a combination of all the above preservatives (T4) for 5min, and the control samples the one without any chemical preservatives. The treated samples were vacuum-packed, and stored at 4°C and the quality parameters were evaluated every three days at intervals up to 15 days. The results show that firmness, acidity, and TSS were found high in T1, and the respiration rate, weight loss, and yellowness (b*) were less in T1 compared to control and other samples which indicates the freshness of the product. Among the chemical treatments, the vacuum-packed CaCl₂ treated peeled shallot has maintained its quality...