Researchers of the University of Extremadura and Cicytex have developed a packaging technique that extends the shelf life of figs by up to 21 days after harvesting. Microorganisms such as moulds and yeasts are the main causes of the short shelf life of this traditional delicacy, rich in nutrients and with important health benefits due to its antioxidant properties). Normally, no more than seven days after the harvest, figs experience a loss in quality due to the fruit's ripening, which results in certain changes that lead to a loss in sensory quality and a less appealing appearance.
Precisely because of that, and because of their poor shelf life once plucked from the tree, much of the production has traditionally gone to its processing into dried figs; however, this practice is currently changing due to increased market demand; a trend which could further change after the latest research conducted by the University of Extremadura and Cicytex, the Centre for Scientific and Technological Research of Extremadura.
Recently, in the doctoral thesis entitled "Study to prolong the shelf life of fig varieties for fresh consumption and find alternative techniques for the drying of figs", the Bachelor of Science and Food Technology María del Carmen Villalobos successfully demonstrated the usefulness of certain packaging formats to triple the shelf life of fresh figs.
As explained by the very author of this research study, the finding has been possible thanks to a packaging design, based on micro-perforated films, which makes it possible to create a passive modified atmosphere. "This packaging format has shown to have an inhibitory effect on the growth and spread of microorganisms; it minimises weight loss and slows down the appearance of fungal damage, delaying the ripening by between 14 and 21 days, depending on the variety," stated the researcher.
This contribution comes also at an important moment for this sector. This has been explained by one of the directors of Villalobos' doctoral thesis, María de guía Córdoba, who explained that figs are currently turning from being a "marginal crop" to becoming a "source of income for many producers."
"For a long time, fig trees have been associated with the maintenance of other crops. Their consumption, in many cases, has been limited to a family or agricultural context, and consequently the care given to this plant has been scarce. But now this is changing; it is a niche market and therefore, this research can help give the industry the boost it needs," clarified the coordinator of the Research Group CAMIALI (Quality and Food Microbiology).
The science of drying
While the study has been conducive to increasing the shelf life of fresh figs, it has also led to further improvements in the fruit's handling. Specifically, one of the most interesting contributions has been associated with reduced drying time. They have shown that, through the application of ultrasonic pre-treatments, these fruits can be dried in a period of between 1 and 3 days, when traditional sun drying techniques need an average of about 15 days. "Using these treatments has also come to show that we have more control over the product, which is important from a food safety point of view," stated Villalobos.
The research was funded by FEDER funds through a project of the National Research Institute for Agricultural and Food Technology (INIA).
Fig production in Spain
Currently, the Spanish fig production represents 33% of the total in the European Union; a figure which makes Spain the largest EU producer. In Spain itself, the regions with the largest acreage and production in recent years have been Extremadura (5,300 hectares), Baleares (2,287 ha) and Andalusia (1,874 ha, mainly in the province of Granada). Regionally, Extremadura leads in terms of regularly productive acreage, with some 5,120 hectares, of which 2,800 belong to the province of Badajoz and 2,320 to Caceres (Magrama, 2014). In Badajoz, fig orchards are mainly located in the south of the province, in the counties of Llanos de Olivenza, Sierra Suroeste and Tentudía, in municipalities such as Barcarrota, Jerez de los Caballeros, Salvaleón or Monesterio. There are also regular plantations in the northern municipalities of the county of Vegas Bajas, such as La Nava de Santiago, La Roca de la Sierra or Trujillanos, as well as in Guareña, in Vegas Altas. Meanwhile, in the province of Caceres, there are two main production zones: one located south, in the land of Montánchez, and the other north of the province, in the regions of La Vera and Valle del Jerte, whose production is primarily intended for human consumption, both fresh and dried.
Source: valenciafruits.com
