Improvement of Storage Stability of Apple and Kiwi at Room Temperature Using Pd/ZSM-5 Catalyst and Nonthermal Plasma

A catalyst-plasma reactor was applied to the storage of agricultural products, e.g., apple and kiwi, to remove the ethylene generated during the storage. Two 1-m(3) unit containers were prepared, and the long-term storage stability of the control group at room temperature was compared with that of the experimental group of which the produced ethylene was treated by the catalyst-plasma reactor. In case of the experimental group, a small amount of ozone was injected to the unit container to suppress the growth of microorganisms such as mold. The apples and kiwis were stored at room temperature for 50 and 57 days, respectively, and the changes in ethylene concentration, hardness, sugar content, acidity, and loss rate were compared. The ethylene concentration during the storage for the control group was higher than that for the experimental group, indicating that the ethylene was effectively removed. Hardness, sugar content, and sugar acid ratio after the storage were better than before the storage, and in particular, the storage stability of kiwifruit was improved significantly. In addition, after the storage, the loss rates of apples and kiwis in the control group were 10 and 54.1%, respectively, but the loss rates in the experimental group were 6 and 34.8%, respectively. Therefore, the storage stability of the experimental group was a lot better than that of the control group.