Journal of Stored Products Research 62 (2015) 16e21

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Journal of Stored Products Research

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jspr

Effect of storage atmosphere and temperature on the oxidative

stability of almond kernels during long term storage
Marzieh Raisi, Mohammad Ghorbani*, Alireza Sadeghi Mahoonak, Mahdi Kashaninejad,
Hamed Hosseini
Department of Food Science and Technology, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: In this study, the oxidative stability of almonds (Var. Mamaei) stored for a period of 10 months was
Received 15 December 2014 examined. The influence of temperature (ambient and refrigeration), type of atmosphere (vacuum, CO2
Received in revised form and normal air) and the product physical shape (whole kernels and ground) on the oxidation stability
28 February 2015
were studied under conditions of darkness. Peroxide value (PV) and conjugated trienes (K268) were used
Accepted 13 March 2015
Available online 24 March 2015
as indicators for oxidation progress. Odor and flavor were also used for sensory evaluation. According to
the results, effects of differing temperature, type of atmosphere or physical shape on PV and K268 were
significantly different (P < 0.05). At the end of storage with PV of 3.41 meqO2/kg and K268 of 3.42 mmol/g
Keywords:
Almond
the ground almond sample exposed to air at ambient temperature was the least stable, and the whole
Oxidative stability kernels under vacuum kept in a refrigerator at 4
C with PV of 0.69 meqO2/kg and K268 of 0.63 mmol/g
Modified atmosphere packaging were the most stable form against oxidation. As a result, with regard to PV, unpacked whole kernels and
Peroxide value ground almonds stored at ambient temperature remained fresh for 8e9 and 7 months of storage,
Conjugated triene respectively, while the same samples in refrigeration had shelf lives above 10 months. The use of
modified atmosphere packaging under vacuum and CO2 provided a shelf life of at least 10 months for all
samples irrespective of storage temperature and physical shape of the nuts. Thus modified atmosphere
packaging was a most effective method for protecting the almonds from oxidation.
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction as components of many foodstuffs including bakery products and

The almond, Prunus dulcis belongs to the subfamily Prunoideae
of the family Rosaceae (Ahmad, 2010). Almonds and other tree nuts
contain dietary fiber, vitamin E, phytosterols, antioxidants, min-
erals, numerous bioactive substances and several key micro-
nutrients that have health benefits and nutrient profile (Dreher
et al., 1996; Kris-Etherton et al., 2001; Amarowicz et al., 2005;
Blomhoff et al., 2006; Chen et al., 2006). Lipid contents with a range
of 44e61% have been reported for almonds in studies of commer-
cially or locally important cultivars grown in different zones (Yada
et al., 2011). Healthy fats in nuts contribute to the beneficial effects
of frequent nut intake observed in epidemiological studies as they
can prevent coronary heart disease, diabetes, and sudden death
(Ros and Mataix, 2006). Almonds are consumed as peeled or un-
peeled, raw or roasted, whole or ground kernels, and are also used
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: m.ghorbani@gau.ac.ir (M. Ghorbani).
confectionery as well as in flavoring agents for beverages and ice-
creams (Mexis and Kontominas, 2010). The quality of stored al-
monds depends mainly on the kernel moisture and fat content,
storage temperature, relative humidity (r.h.), oxygen level, type of
packaging, the form of stored nut (in-shell or shelled, peeled,
roasted, etc.), content of tocopherols and peroxide value. Also the
soils and the climates where almonds are grown as well as the
almond variety can play an important role in the shelf-life (Garcia-
Pascual et al., 2003; Kazantzis et al., 2003). Lipid oxidation is the
main cause of off-flavor development in almonds due to their high
content of unsaturated fatty acids. Oxygen concentration is one of
the most important extrinsic factors affecting nuts lipid oxidation.
Shelf lives of almonds stored in different conditions have been
reported by a few researchers (Guadagni et al., 1978; Senesi et al.,
1991; Severini et al., 2000; Garcia-Pascual et al., 2003; Mexis
et al., 2009; Mexis and Kontominas, 2010). However the effect of
packaging almonds under CO2 and under vacuum at different
storage temperatures on oxidative stability of the whole kernels
and ground form has not yet been reported.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2015.03.004
0022-474X/© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 M. Raisi et al. / Journal of Stored Products Research 62 (2015) 16e21
2. Material and methods
2.1. Almonds
The almonds used in this study were of the Mamaei variety,
collected from local farms of Shahre-kord, Iran in September 2012.
The nuts were cracked by hand cracker and after shelling, half of
the kernels were kept intact while the other half was ground using
a domestic grinder.
2.2. Packaging and storage
The shelled and ground almonds were prepared to be stored
under three different storage conditions: 30 g of the test samples 1)
exposed to open air in polypropylene (PP) single use trays without
lids, 2) under 95% vacuum, 3) under 95% CO2 and 5% air. The latter
two were carried out using a packaging set with gas injector
(Henklman, Model Boxer 42) in low-density polyethylene/poly-
amide/low-density polyethylene (LDPE/PA/LDPE) laminated
sheeting. Flexible pouches, with 75 mm thickness, having an oxygen
permeabilitzy of 52.2 cm3 m2 day1 atm1 at 75% r.h., 25
C, a
water vapor permeability of 2.4 g m2 day1 at 100% r.h., 25
C, and
a CO2 permeability of 189 cm3 m2 day1 atm at 25% r.h., 25
C
(according to the supplier's data) were employed for the experi-
ments. Samples were stored in the dark at two temperature con-
ditions, ambient (c.23
C) and refrigeration (4
C, 78% r.h.) for 10
months. All samples were analyzed regularly (every month) to
study the oxidation progress. In the ambient storage trials the
temperature and r.h. were monitored every day using a digital
temperature and moisture meter (Gemini Data Loggers, West
Sussex, UK). Duplicate measurements were carried out for chemical
analysis. Moisture content, total oil contents, protein, ash, fiber and
carbohydrate of fresh almond were determined using standard
AOAC (2005) methods.
2.3. Oil extraction
Extraction of oil from the nut samples was carried out using
hexane, as described by Lo  pez-Duarte and Vidal-Quintanar, 2009.
The powdered almond (30 g) was stirred for 6 h at room temper-
ature (25
C) with hexane (200 ml) in the dark. The resulting oil in
hexane mixture was filtered through a Whatman No.4 filter paper
via a Buchner funnel. The solvent was removed by rotary evapo-
ration (Model RV O5 BASIC, IKA, USA) at 35
C and the residue was
kept in a screw cap bottle until used for chemical analysis.
2.4. Assessment of oxidation
Lipid oxidation was evaluated by measuring a) peroxide value
(PV) for primary oxidation products and b) spectrophotometric
index (K268) in order to evaluate the formation of triple conjugate
double bonds (Trienes) for secondary oxidation products. Since
hydroperoxides are the primary products of lipid oxidation, their
content is often used as an indicator for the initial stages of
oxidation during storage. Peroxide value (PV) was determined by
the iodometric assay according to IUPAC standard method 2.501
(IUPAC, 1992). The contents of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane as a measure
of trienes was measured at 268 nm (K268) with a spectrophotom-
eter (PG Instruments, T80 þ UV/VIS model, UK) using a quartz
cuvette. Conjugated trienes were calculated according to IUPAC
Official Method 2.205 based on measured absorbance of a solution
containing 0.01e0.03 g of oil in 25 ml of isooctane.
17
2.5. Sensory evaluation
The sensory panel was selected from a group of 30 untrained
people (university students and staff) with ages between 20 and 40
years. For sample evaluation the panelists were served a control
reference sample (stored at 18
C). Samples were randomly coded
with 6-digit numbers and were allowed to equilibrate to tasting
room temperature (21 ± 1
C). The panelists rinsed their mouths
with water, between each tasting. All samples were supplied in a
white plastic cup, containing 30 g of whole kernels or ground
almond. Sensory attributes evaluated were odor and flavor since
these attributes are directly dependent on lipid oxidation. Scoring
was carried out on paper ballots using a 9 point hedonic scale
where: 9 ¼ extremely like and 1 ¼ extremely dislike for evaluation
of the samples' odor and flavor. Analyses were performed at least
twice and a score of 5 was considered as the lower limit of
acceptability for odor and flavor. Sensory evaluations were per-
formed bimonthly during a period of 10 months.
2.6. Statistical analysis
Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using JMP
10 software for Windows. Differences were estimated by the
analysis of variance followed by Tukey's ‘‘honest significant differ-
ence’’ test. Differences were considered significant at P < 0.05.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Chemical composition
Chemical compositions of the nut which were measured on a
wet basis are summarized as follows. Moisture, total oil, protein,
ash, fiber and carbohydrate contents of the fresh almond measured
3.29 ± 0.5, 48.32 ± 2.45, 18.36 ± 1.54, 3.38 ± 0.51, 5.36 ± 0.98 and
21.37 ± 3.01 g/100 g respectively.
3.2. Storage temperature and relative humidity
Table 1 shows the variations in temperature and r.h. in the
storage room during the 10-month period of storage. The average
temperature and r.h. for the entire 10-month period were 23
C and
33.5% respectively. Moisture contents of the whole kernels and
ground almonds stored in different conditions did not show sig-
nificant differences during the 10-month period of storage (average
moisture content was determined as 3.25%). The low moisture
content of the nut and insignificant fluctuations in the room r.h.
during the storage period caused little change in moisture contents
of the samples. Also, almonds contain high amounts of fats as well
as proteins. Peptides can react with lipids and affect the stability of
the nut's membrane which in turn prevents water from being lost
Table 1
Mean psychrometric data of the storage room.
Storage period Mean storage Mean relative
in months temperature ±0.1 (
C) humidity ± 1 (%)
1 20.6 40%
2 20.2 39%
3 19.3 40%
4 20 40%
5 20.4 38%
6 24 36%
7 24.4 37%
8 26 31%
9 26.2 30%
10 26.1 34%
18 M. Raisi et al. / Journal of Stored Products Research 62 (2015) 16e21

Table 2
Changes in peroxide value (meqO2/kg almond oil) of raw unshelled whole kernel and ground almonds as a function of internal packaging atmosphere and storage time at 23
C
and 4
C.

Temperature Physical Type of Storage time (month)

shape atmosphere
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Ambient (23 C) Whole kernel Air 0.23gA fg
0.34 A fg
0.44 A 0.69efgA fg
0.76e AB 0.95 ABdef
1.13 AB de bcd
1.45 B 1.95bcAB a
2.38 AB 2.72aB
Vacuum 0.23bA 0.23bA 0.29abA 0.37abA 0.44abB 0.50abB 0.69abBC 0.73abC 0.75abCD 0.84abCD 0.90aCD
CO2 0.23cA 0.23cA 0.22cA 0.41bcA 0.53abcB 0.59abcB 0.70abcBC 0.72abcC 0.98abCD 1.05abCD 1.11aCD
Ground Air 0.23hA 0.35ghA 0.59ghA 0.94fgA 1.33efA 1.37efA 1.65deA 2.19cdA 2.54bcA 2.96abA 3.41aA
Vacuum 0.23eA 0.25deA 0.34cdeA 0.39bcde
A 0.518bcdeB 0.71abcdeAB 0.79abcdeBC 0.88abcdBC 0.96abcCD 1.05abCD 1.23aCD
CO2 0.23fA 0.35efA 0.39defA 0.45defA 0.54defB 0.76cdefAB 0.91bcdeBC 1.03bcdBC 1.33abcBC 1.46abC 1.55aC
Refrigerator Whole kernel Air 0.23cA 0.23cA 0.23cA c
0.30 A 0.35abcB 0.48abcB 0.39abcC 0.75abcC 0.84abcCD 0.97abCD 1.02aCD
(4
C) Vacuum 0.23aA 0.23aA 0.26aA 0.34aA 0.4aB 0.45aB 0.48aBC 0.50aC 0.53aD 0.65aD 0.69aD
CO2 0.23aA 0.23aA 0.21aA 0.29aA 0.41aB 0.57aB 0.59aBC 0.66aC 0.70aCD 0.724aD 0.75aD
Ground Air 0.23dA 0.33cdA 0.35cdA 0.46cdA 0.53cdB 0.54cdB 0.63bcdBC 0.86bcdBC 0.95bcCD 1.24abCD 1.33aCD
Vacuum 0.23aA 0.25aA 0.31aA 0.35aA 0.40aB 0.46aB 0.59aBC 0.68aC 0.73aCD 0.82aCD 0.85aD
Co2 0.23dA 0.31cdA 0.33cdA 0.45abcdA 0.5abcdB 0.57abcdB 0.62abcdBC 0.83abcdBC 0.98abcCD 1.05abCD 1.07aCD

Values in the same row with different lowercase letters were significantly different at P < 0.05. Values in the same column with different capital letters were significantly
different at P < 0.05.

from the nut (Epand, 1998). It can be concluded, therefore, that the
moisture contents of the samples during the experimental storage
period are unlikely to have significantly affected the oxidation
progress.
3.3. Peroxide values
Changes in PV of the whole kernels and ground almonds under
different conditions are shown in Table 2. The initial PV of fresh
almonds was very low (0.23 meqO2/kg of almond oil), which in-
dicates that the almonds did not show initial oxidative rancidity.
According to the results, the PV of the packed and unpacked whole
kernels showed significant differences after 7 months storage at
ambient temperature. The PV of whole kernels when packed under
vacuum and CO2 conditions at the same temperature did not show
significant differences at 10 months of storage. Significant differ-
ence was detected between the PV of packed and unpacked raw
ground almonds stored at ambient temperature after 6 months.
Also at low temperature conditions the PV of all samples either
whole kernel or raw ground almond (packed and unpacked) did not
show significant differences after 10 months of storage. The
vacuum-packed samples showed the lowest peroxide values.
Samples stored under CO2 showed higher oxidation than vacuum-
packed samples but had lower PV than samples exposed to open air
during storage in both temperature conditions. Maximum oxidative
stability was found in the whole kernels packaged under vacuum
and CO2, and ground almond under vacuum at refrigeration
temperature.
These results indicate that lower temperatures along with the
presence of vacuum effectively protected the nuts from oxidation,
and are in good agreement with those of Martin et al. (2001). Sig-
nificant differences were not detected between the packaged
samples during 10 months storage irrespective of temperature and
physical shape. The results also showed that ground almond suf-
fered a greater degree from oxidation than whole kernels under all
conditions (P < 0.05). The whole kernels and ground almond after 7
months showed significant differences in PV at ambient tempera-
ture, while refrigerated samples did not show significant differ-
ences in PV.
It can be concluded that storage temperature had a more pro-
nounced effect on almond oxidation than physical shape. Despite
our results, Garcia-Pascual et al. (2003) reported that the packaging
atmosphere (air and N2) at 8 and 36
C during 9 months of storage
did not affect the peroxide value of raw, roasted, shelled and in-shell
almonds for four varieties. Sanchez-Bel et al. (2011) also studied the
effect of packaging in nitrogen (N2) atmosphere or in air on the
quality of peeled and roasted almond var. Guara during storage for
20 weeks at 20 ± 1
C and 65e70% r.h. They reported that an effect of
packaging atmosphere on the development of oxidation in the
peeled or roasted almonds was not apparent. The difference be-
tween the results of different studies and our results can be attrib-
uted to a different r.h. in storage, type of product (peeled and roasted
almonds showing more oxidation than unpeeled almonds under
modified atmosphere), difference in almond variety, type of

Table 3
Changes in conjugated trienes (mmol/g) of raw unshelled whole kernel and ground almonds as a function of internal packaging atmosphere and storage time at 23
C and 4
C.

Temperature Physical shape Type of atmosphere Storage time (months)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Ambient (23
C) Whole kernel Air 0.346fA 0.492efA 0.61efA 0.765defAB 0.851defB 0.941cdefB 1.09bcdeBC 1.29abcdBC 1.534abcBCD 1.685abBC 1.832aC
Vacuum 0.346bA 0.355bA 0.397abA 0.415abB 0.478abB 0.483abB 0.514abCD 0.554abD 0.65abE 0.805abDE 1.001aDE
CO2 0.346cA 0.371cA 0.396cA 0.423cB 0.455cB 0.493bcB 0.544bcCD 0.631bcD 0.735bcE 1.113abCDE 1.52aCD
Ground Air 0.346hA 0.346hA 0.595hA 1.342efgA 1.653defA 1.755deA 2.021cdA 2.625abcA 2.885abA 3.292aA 3.42aA
Vacuum 0.346cA 0.382cA 0.439cA 0.475cB 0.502cB 0.613cB 0.724bcCD 0.834bcBCD 0.96abcDE 1.263abBCD 1.566aCD
CO2 0.346fA 0.375fA 0.398fA 0.495defB 0.519defB 0.886defB 1.089deBC 1.101dBCD 1.843abB 2.126bcB 2.599aB


Refrigerator (4 C) Whole kernel Air 0.346aA 0.42aA 0.457aA 0.479aB 0.546aB 0.616aB 0.656aCD 0.714aCD 0.772aE 0.813aDE 0.854aE
Vacuum 0.346aA 0.346aA 0.353aA 0.402aB 0.419aB 0.436aB 0.465aD 0.495aD 0.535aE 0.603aE 0.63aE
CO2 0.346aA 0.349aA 0.353aA 0.391aB 0.402aB 0.467aB 0.522aCD 0.592aD 0.625aE 0.685aDE 0.74aE
Ground Air 0.346gA 0.478fgA 0.598efgA 0.776defgAB 0.886defgB 0.986defB 1.13bcde B 1.346bcdB 1.62abcCB 1.75abB 1.854aC
Vacuum 0.376aA 0.38aA 0.387aA 0.461aB 0.497aB 0.507aB 0.523aCD 0.564aD 0.615aE 0.643aDE 0.956aDE
CO2 0.346bA 0.349bA 0.35bA 0.478bB 0.495bB 0.643bB 0.669abCD 0.715abCD 0.825abE 0.932abDE 1.12aDE

Values in the same row with different lowercase letters were significantly different at P < 0.05. Values in the same column with different capital letters were significantly
different at P < 0.05.
 M. Raisi et al. / Journal of Stored Products Research 62 (2015) 16e21
Fig. 1. Changes in odor: a) whole almond kernels b) raw ground almonds as a function of internal packaging atmosphere, storage time at ambient temperature and refrigeration.
packaging materials and type of atmosphere in which the nuts were
packed. According to Buransompob et al. (2003), peroxide values
less than 2.0 meqO2/kg in almond oils can be considered as an in-
dicator of fresh almonds, so according our results, whole kernel and
ground almonds packaged (under vacuum and CO2) at ambient and
refrigeration temperature had at least 10 months of shelf life
considered as fresh. The whole kernels and ground almond at
ambient temperature exposed to air remained fresh for 8e9 and 7
months, respectively, while, the samples stored at the refrigeration
temperature remained fresh for more than 10 months. In a similar
study, Mexis et al. (2009) reported that the PVs of raw ground
almond packaged in LDPE/EVOH/LDPE with the oxygen absorber
after 12 months of storage at 20 and 4
C in darkness were 1.62 and
0.99e1.15 meqO2/kg, respectively. Their results were similar to the
PV of ground almond under CO2 in our study after 10 months at
ambient and refrigeration temperatures.
3.4. Conjugated trienes
Table 3 shows the average K268 value obtained for the whole
kernel and ground almond in different storage conditions. The K268
19
value of fresh almond was 0.346 mmol/g while the highest and
lowest K268 values at the end of the storage period were recorded
for ground almond exposed to the air at ambient temperature
(3.42 mmol/g) and for whole kernels under vacuum at refrigeration
(0.63 mmol/g). K268 values of packed (vacuum and CO2) whole
kernels and unpacked ones (exposed to air) showed significant
differences at ambient temperature after 7 months of storage. At
low temperature all samples of the whole kernels (packed and
unpacked) did not show significant differences during 10 months of
storage. Sanchez-Bel et al. (2011) observed that the ultraviolet (UV;
K268) index increased more slowly in the roasted almonds packaged
in N2 during 5 months storage, while in peeled samples the index
reached the same levels at the end of storage regardless of the
packaging atmosphere. As can be seen from Table 3, there were
significant differences between K268 values of packed and unpacked
raw ground almonds at ambient temperature after 3 months stor-
age. However similar results were obtained after 6 months storage
when the temperature was lowered to 4
C by refrigeration. The
K268 value was increased with storage time (P < 0.05) in all samples,
findings in agreement with the results of Senesi et al. (1991).
Likewise, Zacheo et al. (2000), Mexis et al. (2009) and Mexis and
20 M. Raisi et al. / Journal of Stored Products Research 62 (2015) 16e21
Fig. 2. Changes in flavor: a) whole almond kernels b) raw ground almonds as a function of internal packaging atmosphere, storage time at ambient temperature and refrigeration.
Kontominas (2010) in their studies reported that the secondary
oxidation products in almond (malondialdehyde, hexanal content)
increased with storage time. In a similar study, Kazantzis et al.
(2003) compared in-shell almonds versus shelled almonds stored
at either 5
C (80% r.h.) or 23
C (60% r.h.) inside PE bags aerated
with a few 3 mm diameter holes for 6 months. They found that after
6 months of storage, shelled almonds retained a stable K268 value
which is in contrast to our results of storing almonds at ambient
temperature where K268 values for whole almond kernels exposed
to air, under vacuum and CO2 showed significant differences after 6,
10 and 9 months of storage, respectively. However K268 values of
the whole kernels under vacuum, CO2 and exposed to air and that
of ground almond under vacuum at refrigeration temperature did
not show significant differences after 10 months of storage. No
significant differences were found in the K268 value of all samples
with different packagings regardless of storage temperature and
physical shape of almond.
According to Labuza and Dugan (1971), the rate of oxidation was
independent of oxygen concentration at very high oxygen partial
pressure, while it was proportional to oxygen concentration at low
oxygen partial pressure. The K268 value for ground almond was
higher than that for the whole kernels, indicating that ground
almond was more susceptible to oxidation, due to the higher con-
tact surface to oxygen as compared to whole almonds. The results
also show that K268 values of all samples stored in vacuum pack-
aging were lower than that for CO2-filled and air atmosphere for
whole kernels and ground almonds at both storage temperatures.
Kader (1996) stated that O2 is the most important atmospheric
component in almond storage, and that high O2 concentrations
resulted in an increase in rancidity and mold growth. These results
also showed that the changes in the K268 of the samples occurred
faster as storage time increased. This can be justified by the fact that
with increase in storage time, i.e. after five months, the amount of
naturally occurring antioxidant including tocopherols in almonds
has diminished and oxidative stability has been reduced conse-
quently. According to Garcia-Pascual et al. (2003), Chun et al. (2005)
and Fourie and Basson (1989), the tocopherol content decreased
throughout storage in almonds, possibly as a result of its antioxidant
 M. Raisi et al. / Journal of Stored Products Research 62 (2015) 16e21
function against lipid oxidation.
3.5. Sensory evaluation
Flavor and odor changes in the whole kernels and ground al-
monds during storage time are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in
Fig. 1, after 10 months of storage, odor changes were the least in the
samples packaged under vacuum and refrigerated for both whole
kernels and ground almonds (scores were 8.23 and 7.94, respec-
tively), while the lowest scores were recorded for the samples
exposed to air at ambient temperature (score 5.81 and 4.56 for
whole kernels and ground almonds, respectively). Odor scores of
whole kernels packaged under vacuum and refrigerated did not
show significant differences during 10 months of storage, while in
the case of ground almonds significant differences were detected
after 8 months of storage. In the unpacked whole kernels and
ground almonds exposed to air kept at ambient temperature sig-
nificant changes (P < 0.05) in odor scores were observed after 6 and
4 months of storage, respectively. The results showed that, after 10
months of storage, no sensory differences were found by panelists
between whole kernels stored under vacuum and CO2 regardless of
storage temperature, so the results support our previous findings
and discussions for PV and K268.
As shown in Fig. 2, flavor changes were noticeable in whole
kernels and ground almonds exposed to air at ambient temperature
for 10 months of storage (scores 5.05 and 3.7, respectively). Again
the highest scores were recorded for the samples packaged under
vacuum and refrigerated for both whole kernels and ground al-
monds (scores were 7.64 and 6.90, respectively). Flavor of the
whole kernels and ground almonds packaged under vacuum and
refrigerated showed significant differences after 6 months while
changes in the flavor of the whole kernels and ground almonds on
polypropylene trays in air at ambient temperature occurred after 2
months of storage (P < 0.05). Flavor proved to be a more sensitive
sensory character than odor for quality assessment in almonds. The
score of 5 was taken as the lower limit of acceptability for odor and
flavor in our study which was the score of the odor of ground
almond exposed to air at ambient temperature after 9 months.
Flavor of ground almond exposed to air at ambient for 6 months
and at refrigeration temperature for up to 10 months, had accept-
able level (scored nearly 5). However the flavor of the whole ker-
nels exposed to air at ambient temperature had a shelf life of 10
months with acceptable quality. Based on the comments from the
sensory panel on almonds packaged under vacuum at ambient
temperature after 10 months storage, there was a trace of a
particular fermentation odor and flavor, although the PV and K268
values were lower than those in other samples.
4. Conclusion
According to the results, the storage atmosphere (CO2, vacuum
and air), temperature (ambient and refrigeration), physical shape of
almond (whole kernel and ground) and storage time significantly
(P < 0.05) affected peroxide values and conjugated trienes. The
storage of almonds at ambient temperature, in air, or in ground
form showed higher peroxide values and conjugated trienes as
compared with those stored at refrigeration temperature, or those
packed under vacuum or CO2, or those stored as whole kernels. The
whole kernels and ground almond vacuum packaged in LDPE/PA/
LDPE flexible plastic pouches and stored in refrigeration main-
tained good oxidative stability for at least 10 months. The use of
packaging (under vacuum or CO2) protected both whole kernels
and ground almonds during storage irrespective of storage
21
temperature. The rate of oxidation and the generation of odor and
flavor in ground almonds were higher than those for whole kernels.
Thus, to store almonds for longer periods, it is recommended to
store the kernels as whole rather than ground nuts, otherwise for
an extended shelf life a combination of modified atmosphere
packaging and low temperature is essential to maintain the quality
of the product.
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