Impact of Package Type and Jojoba Oil Addition on the Physicochemical Properties and Microbial Quality of Caraway Fruits During Storage

This study aimed to investigate the effect of package type and jojoba oil addition on the quality parameters of caraway fruits (Carum carvi L.) during storage at ambient temperature for 20 months. The packages used in the study were low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags (control), LDPE bags treated with a layer of jojoba oil (LDPE-JO), highdensity polyethylene (HDPE) containers (transparent and dark), and glass bottles (transparent and dark). Moisture content, weight loss, essential oil (EO) content, EO composition (using GC), flavor, and microbial counts of caraway fruits during storage were investigated. The results showed that weight loss and carvone content increased, while moisture content, EO content, and limonene content decreased gradually during storage. Also, a slight decrease in flavor scores of all samples was observed during storage. No microbial growth was detected for all samples during the storage period. The sample packaged in LDPE-JO bags was more stable during storage compared to other packages in terms of moisture content, weight loss, EO content, EO composition, and flavor. Generally, caraway packaged in LDPE-JO bags was the best among all packages used during the storage period.