I.

Introduction

Processed food inside a packaging will experience a quality degradation

during storage such us the changes of colour to browning in dried cabbages,
the changes of flavor in potato chips, the change of texture due to water
vapour adsorption in dried products and the deterioration of food nutrients due
to oxidation.
Factors influencing the quality changes come from the storage
environmental conditions covering the temperature, the relative humidity, the
existence of oxygen and water vapour, the light intensity and the solubility of
metal ions. The type thickness and surface area of the packaging material, and
the initial moisture content of food also play importance roles in the food
quality changes.
The changes in the stored foods may be explained by the kinetic of
reaction theory. By arranging certain mathematical equations, a product
expiration date can be determined. The time from the foods are readily
produced by the industries to the expiration date is called the shelf life. Half
time means the time when the foods have reached 50% of their shelf life.
The recent method to evaluate the shelf life is by applying a computer
simulation. The threshold value use for the product is an essential quality
parameter that is critical to the costumers. This simulation is developed by
arranging a number of mathematical equations representing the influence
factors in a real case.
In this section we take one example from the phenomen of the ascorbic acid
(vitamine C) degradation in the breakfast cereals (Purwadaria and Heldman,
1980). The rate of the ascorbic degradation has been analyzed to the first
order:
dCdt=
-kC……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………….(1)
where:
C = ascorbid acid degradation %
t = storage time, day
k = the rate of degradation, 1/day
eventhough, the fluactuating storage temperature may provide a specific
influence that can be calculated by the Arrhenius equation (Heldmen and
Singh, 1981), it will assumed constant at a given centigrade for this case:
Thus, the equation (1) can be written as follows
Ct+dt= Ctexp(-kt*dt)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………(2)
The rate of the ascorbic acid degradation, k is also tempered by the water
activity inside the packaging (aiw). The relationship of k and aiw in cereal
product was obtained experimentally to be a linier function (Purwadaria and
Heldmen, 1980).
k=0.0107+0.0765awi……………………………………………………………………………
……………………….(3)
 The water activity aiw is calculated from BET equation (Brunauer, Emmett and
Teller, 1938):
awiM(1-awi)= 1wmC+ (C-
1)awiwmC…………………………………………………………………………………………..
...............(4)
where:
M = equilibrium moisture content of food (dry basis), g H2O/100 g solid
wm = monomolecular moisture content
c = energy contant
The amount of water vapour permeatinf through the film paclaging is assumed
to the fully adsorbed by the food product and is expressed mathematically as
follows:
dM= K AX Ws p dt (awo- awi)
where:
dM = additional moisture content of food, g H2O/ 100 g solid
K = permeability coefficient of packaging film, g H2O mmm2 mmHg hour
A = film surface area, m2
x = film thickness, mm
Ws = weight of food product, g
p = absolute vapour pressure, mmHg
aow = water activity of outside air

II. Objectives

The objectives of this lab practices are:

– To asses the factors contributing to the quality deterioration of packed food
during storage
– To observe the behavior of ascorbic acid degradation and the water vapour
mass transmission into packaging
– To apply the computer simulation in predicting the shelf life of the food
production

I. Materials and Equipment

The food product is a breakfast cereal packed inside a wax paper bag
cardboard box. The characteristics are listed as follows:
Sources Variabels Value Unit
Food Product M0 0.02 g H2O/g solid
Cc 25 -
wm 0.041 -
Ws 200 g
C 100 %
Packaging Film A 0.04 m²
x 0.9 mm
K 0.00725 g H2O mm/ m². mmHg.
Hour
Environment T 30 °C
 awo 0.7 -
p 33 mmHg
and the PC will be used in running the simulation.

II. Methods

1. Developed a computer program to predict the ascorbic acid degradation in a

cereal product, inside a package during the storage. Knowing all the
previous menyioned equations, a computer flow chart can be developed at a
constant temperature and relative humidity as follows:
2. Asses the influencing factors (food, packaging film and environment) and
observe their behaviours.

Ct+dt=
Print
k=0.0107+0.0765awi
awiM(1-awi)=
dM=
Mt+dt=
Start
Input: Ct+dt
CCtexp(-kt*dt)
0
,Kdt,Mt+dM
AXao wWs
,1wmC+
p, p dt (C-
x, Wm, (awo-
C, K, A,
awi)
T = 0 1)awiwmC Ws
I. Discussion

The simulation have been performed using visual basic application in MS.
Excell. The formula and the code are written in VBA project as shown in figure
2 and simulation result can be seen ini MS. Excell as shown in figure 3. Here is
an example of a formula and a code written in the VBA project:

Public Mo, M, Cc, wm, Ws, C, C0, A, x, K, t, aw, p As Double

Public i, waktu, n As Integer
Public awi, kt, dM, Cdt As Double

Sub Data()
Mo = Sheet1.Cells(4, 3) 'sebagai kadar air awal
Cc = Sheet1.Cells(5, 3) 'sebagai energi konstan
wm = Sheet1.Cells(6, 3) 'sebagai kandungan kadar air monomoleculer
Ws = Sheet1.Cells(7, 3) 'sebagai massa product
C0 = Sheet1.Cells(8, 3) 'sebagai konsentrasi vitamin C
A = Sheet1.Cells(9, 3) 'sebagai luas permukaan film pelapis
x = Sheet1.Cells(10, 3) 'sebagai ketebalan film pelapis
K = Sheet1.Cells(11, 3) 'sebagai koefisien permeabilitas kemasan film
t = Sheet1.Cells(12, 3) 'sebagai suhu lingkungan
aw = Sheet1.Cells(13, 3) 'sebagai aktivitas air di lingkungan
p = Sheet1.Cells(14, 3) 'sebagai tekanan absolute
dt = Sheet1.Cells(15, 3) 'sebagai selang waktu pengukuran
n = Sheet1.Cells(16, 3)
M = Mo
C = C0
Cdt = C0
For i = 0 To n
waktu = i
Sheet1.Cells(18 + i, 1) = waktu
'untuk mencari aktivitas air di dalam kemasan (aiw) :
awi = ((2 * M - M * Cc + wm * Cc) - (((-(2 * M) + M * Cc - wm * Cc) ^ 2) - (4 * (M
- M * Cc) * M)) ^ 0.5) / (2 * M - 2 * M * Cc)
Sheet1.Cells(19 + i, 2) = awi
'untuk mencari laju penurunan vitamin C (kt) :
kt = (0.0107 + 0.0765 * awi)/24
Sheet1.Cells(19 + i, 3) = kt
'untuk mencari penurunan vitamin C (Cdt) :
Sheet1.Cells(18 + i, 4) = Cdt
Cdt = C * Exp(-kt * dt)
'untuk mencari penurunan kadar air pada selang waktu tertentu (dM) :
dM = (K / x) * (A / Ws) * p * dt * (aw - awi)
Sheet1.Cells(19 + i, 5) = dM
C = Cdt
'penurunan kadar air akhir (Makhir) :
Sheet1.Cells(18 + i, 6) = M
M = Mo + dM
Mo = M

Next i
End Sub
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
Data
End Sub

Private Sub CommandButton2_Click()

Hapus
End Sub

Figure 2. The formula and code written in the VBA project with MS. Excel
App.
 Figure 3. The Simulation show in MS. Excell Application.

In this simulation, we declare the variable and constants at the beginning of

the program (Figure 2). Then the inputs, which are written in the worksheet,
are read by a sub program ‘data’. Sub program command is written to active
the command ‘Data’ and ‘hapus’ in the worksheet.

The simulation result can be described as the graph shown in the picture
below.

Figure 4. The Simulation Result: Moisture Content, Water Activity Inside

The chart above shown us that the storage of cerealia product can raise
the moisture content from 0.02 at the beginning until 0.08 at the end of the
fourth month. The same case also happened in the water activity inside
packaging (aiw), aiw content increased from 0.034 at the beginning of simulation
until 0.50 in the end.

In the other hand, the ascorbid acid has decreased from 100 % at the
beginning of storage until 1.548 %. As shown in figure 5, the chart pointed the
ascorbid acid reduction.
 Figure 5. The decreased of ascorbid acid contents during storage for 4
months

According to Burdurlu, unyear, degradation of ascorbid acid proceeds

both aerobic and anaerobic pathways (Huelin, 1953; Johnson et al., 1995) and
depends upon many factors such as oxygen, heat, light (Robertson &
Samaniego, 1986), storage temperature and storage time (Fellers, 1988;
Gordon & SamaniegoEsguerra, 1990). According Pracaya in Safaryani, 2007,
vitamin C content in broccoli could be reduced by more than 50% in just a few
days, but this loss can be prevented by storage at low temperatures and this is
because the nature of vitamin C are easily changed by oxidation but stable if a
crystal (pure), also according to Wills et al (1981) storage at low temperature
can reduce the activity of respiration and metabolism, slow the aging process,
prevent water loss and prevent withered. But Linder (1992) mentions that even
in a state of low temperature and humidity maintained, 50% vitamin C is lost in
3-5 months.
Burdurlu, H.S, Koca, N and Karadeniz, F, has conducted research on
degradation of vitamin C ini citrus juice concentrates during store, and the
result shown that on initial vitamin C contents of orange, lemon, grapefruit and
tangerine juice concentrates were 232.9, 225, 205.8 and 97.9 mg/100 g,
respectively. After an eight week storage, ascorbic acid contents of those
samples at 28, 37 and 45 C decreased to 194.9, 122.8, 144.0, 65 mg/100 g;
52.4, 54.6, 55.5, 23.1 mg/ 100 g and 39.3, 45, 31.4, 14.8 mg/100 g,
respectively.
Rachmawati, R, Defiani, R.M and Suriani, N.L, 2009 also conducted
research on effect of temperature and length of storage on vitamin C
concentration of chilli (Capsicum frustescens), the results are vitamin C content
decreased during storage temperature and storage duration
different. Before storage, content of vitamin C in white chili for 59.9 mg/100 mL
and after storage for 15 days with different temperatures namely 10 ° C, 20 ° C,
29 ° C (room temperature), vitamin C experienced decline in a row to 35.2
mg/100 mL, 31.6 mg/100 mL, and 23.6 mg/100 mL.

In this simulation, cerealia for breakfast was storage at 30 o temperature,

on initial content vitamin C storage assumed 100 % after 4 mounths storage it
levels decreased to 1.548 % as shown in the table below:
Table 1. The Simulation Result per 10 Hour.
t aiw kt Ct+dt dM M
(hour)
0 100 0.02
 0.0672 0.0006 86.521 3.4E-
240 3 6 1 05 0.0283
0.1200 0.0008 72.456 3.1E- 0.0360
480 4 3 9 05 6
0.2533 0.0012 43.922 2.4E- 0.0491
960 3 5 1 05 4
0.3089 0.0014 31.802 2.1E- 0.0544
1200 2 3 8 05 8
0.3539 0.0015 22.160 1.8E- 0.0591
1440 8 7 5 05 7
0.3905 0.0016 14.969 1.6E- 0.0633
1680 6 9 2 05 4
0.4206 0.0017 9.8581 1.5E- 0.0670
1920 5 9 1 05 9
0.4457 0.0018 6.3570 1.4E- 0.0704
2160 9 7 6 05 9
0.0019 4.0274 1.2E- 0.0735
2400 0.4671 3 7 05 9
0.0019 2.5133 1.1E- 0.0764
2640 0.4854 9 3 05 4
0.0020 1.5481 1.1E- 0.0790
2880 0.5013 4 1 05 8

II. Refrences

Burdurlu, H.S, Koca, N and Karadeniz, F, Degradation of vitamin C ini citrus

juice concentrates during store, Unyear.

Brunauer, S.. P.H. Emmett, and E. Teller. 1938. Adsorption of Gases in

Multimoleculer Layers. J.Am. Chem. Soc. 60:309

Heldman, D.R. and R.P. Singh. 1981. Food Process Engineering 2nd es. AVI Pub
Co., Westport Connecticut.

Linder, M.C. l992. Biokimia Nutrisi dan Metabolisme dengan

Pemekaian Secara Klinis. UI Press. Jakarta.

Rachmawati, R, Defiani, R.M and Suriani, N.L, 2009, Effect of temperature and
length of storage on vitamin C concentration of chilli (Capsicum
frustescens), Biological Journal University of Udayana.

Safaryani., N. Pengaruh Suhu dan Lama Penyimpanan terhadap Penurunan

Kadar Vitamin C Brokoli (Brassica oleracea L). Buletin Anatomi dan
Fisiologi Vol. XV, No.2, Oktober 2007. UNDIP

Wills, R.A.H., T.H. Lee, D. Graham, W.B. McGlasson, E.G. Hall. l98l.
Postharvest An Introduction to the Physiology and Handling of Fruit
and vegetables. New South Wales University Press. Sydney.
COMPUTER SIMULATION TO PREDICT QUALITY CHANGES
IN PACKAGED FOOD DURING STORAGE

Adian Rindang

F151090101

DEPARTEMENT OF MECHINE AND FOOD ENGINEERING

GRADUATE SCHOOL
BOGOR AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
2010