This study evaluated the effects of gas composition in kimchi packaging on kimchi quality. Completely sealed packaging without gas inflow/outflow during fermentation (S1), packaging allowing gas outflow (S2), and packaging allowing gas inflow and outflow (S3) were used. Microbial composition analysis, volatile compound content analysis, and sensory evaluation were performed to determine the differences in kimchi quality among samples. Metabolites were examined using principal component analysis. Gas composition analysis showed that the ratio of CO2 increased during the storage period in S1, the ratio of nitrogen and CO2 contents was constant in S2, and the ratio of oxygen was significantly higher in S3. No significant differences in the lactic acid bacteria number were observed. However, coliforms were only detected in S3, and yeast and mold proliferated faster in S3 than in S2 or S1. The main compounds detected in S1 and S2 were alcohols, whereas those in S3 were esters such as β-phenethyl acetate produced by yeast. Sensory evaluation showed that S3 had the lowest odor, taste, and overall scores, whereas S2 had the highest. In conclusion, the gas composition inside the kimchi package greatly affects the quality of kimchi. Our findings provide important data that can be useful in the manufacture of commercial kimchi.
Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05795-z.
Keywords: Gas composition; Kimchi; One-way valve; Packaging; Sensory evaluation.
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