Vacuum cooling and storage temperature influence the quality of stored mung bean sprouts

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of vacuum coolin g and temperature on the quality and storage life of mung bean sprouts (Vig na radiata L. Wilczek). Sprouts in micro-perforated bags mere either not pr ecooled or vacuum cooled to 9, 6, or 3 degrees C, and stored for 7 days at 1, 3, or 6 degrees C. Vacuum-cooled bean sprouts lost more weight than spro uts not precooled, and the weight loss was greater when the sprouts were co oled to lower temperatures. However, the total loss never exceeded 5 % and no apparent signs of shrivel were observed. Vacuum cooling resulted in grea ter product freshness after 4 days of storage, but the effect was nonsignif icant after 7 days. Storage temperature had greater influence on bean sprou t quality than did cooling temperature,,vith greater freshness and whiter h ypocotyls at the lower temperatures. However, blackening of cotyledons incr eased as the storage temperature decreased.