Date of Award

12-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Packaging Science

Committee Chair/Advisor

Dr. Kay Cooksey

Committee Member

Dr. Feng Chen

Committee Member

Dr. Patrick Gerard

Abstract

Roasted and ground coffee is a shelf stable product yet quite sensitive to oxidative staling. A consumer acceptance-based shelf-life modeling system was proposed with intent for the rapid determination of suitable coffee packages. This model requires as input the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of the coffee, barrier values of packages, and the size of the packaging. Within the time period tested, it was shown that this model accurately predicted the oxygen uptake of coffee over time. Four bio-based packaging systems with barrier layers including mPLA, mPE, mcellophane, and paper were compared against a control (mPET). These materials displayed a range of effectiveness in containing moisture and oxygen. It was determined that no materials, including the control, were able deliver a 6-month shelf life of roasted and ground coffee in a non-modified atmosphere at high sensorial rigor. However, the mPET and mcellophane materials could sustain a 6-month shelf life at medium sensorial rigor, and that all materials could sustain a 6-month shelf life at low sensorial rigor. High, medium, and low sensorial rigor were defined as an oxygen uptake of 150, 225, and 300 μg per gram of coffee, respectively. Additional research is needed to measure consumer acceptance more precisely over time with this model.

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