Ethanol–Peppermint Oil Emitter sebagai Kemasan Anti-kapang untuk Memperpanjang Umur Simpan Buah Lengkeng

Abstract

Fenomena masifnya impor buah segar di Indonesia sebagian didorong oleh rendahnya mutu buah produksi lokal, seperti lengkeng, yang salah satunya disebabkan oleh penggunaan kemasan konvensional karena hanya berfungsi sebagai pelindung kontaminasi fisik. Hal ini membuat pentingnya pengembangan teknologi kemasan aktif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk merancang dan mengevaluasi ethanol–peppermint oil emitter (EPOE) sebagai sistem kemasan aktif pada buah segar lengkeng. EPOE mengintegrasikan etanol sebagai agen antimikroba, minyak peppermint sebagai penutup aroma sekaligus antimikroba tambahan, serta natrium stearat sebagai agen controlled-release. Empat jenis emitter disiapkan, yaitu ethanol emitter (EE) dan ethanol emitter dengan tiga konsentrasi minyak peppermint (EPOE 0,5×MIC; 1×MIC; 2×MIC). Karakterisasi emitter difokuskan pada aktivitas anti-kapang, kemampuan penyerapan uap air, dan controlled-release behavior. Emitter selanjutnya diaplikasikan terhadap buah lengkeng dengan variasi posisi penempatannya (atas, bawah, dan bawah-kecil) dan diamati efektivitasnya melalui 4 parameter mutu fisik, diantaranya uji taraf fruit decay, susut bobot, warna perikarp, dan penerimaan sensori. Hasil karakterisasi menunjukkan aktivitas anti-kapang EPOE 2 MIC menghasilkan tingkat penghambatan relatif tertinggi, yakni mencapai 91%. Meskipun seluruh jenis emitter tidak menunjukkan kemampuan penyerapan uap air sebagaimana dihipotesiskan, penambahan minyak peppermint tidak mengubah karakteristik controlled-release dari emitter, sehingga tetap mendukung penerapannya sebagai kemasan aktif selama penyimpanan buah. Pada aplikasi terhadap penyimpanan lengkeng, jenis emitter tidak berpengaruh nyata terhadap susut bobot buah melainkan pengaruh utama berasal dari kemasan pasif yang digunakan efektif menjaga penguapan berlebihan pada lengkeng. Perlakuan emitter jenis EPOE 2 MIC bawah-kecil (yang ditempatkan pada bagian alas kemasan) merupakan perlakuan terbaik karena memiliki taraf decay terendah di hari terakhir penyimpanan dan terbaik dari segi kenampakan warna perikap yang dibuktikan dari nilai ?E terendah serta skor hedonik atribut warna tertinggi, sehingga mengindikasikan pencoklatan perikarp yang lebih minim. Namun berdasarkan atribut aroma, EPOE bawah-kecil memperoleh skor hedonik terendah. Beberapa respon individual menyatakan bahwa aroma peppermint yang terlalu kuat dan khas sehingga menutup aroma alami lengkeng, selain itu aroma peppermint berasosiasi dengan aroma herbal sehingga kurang cocok diaplikasikan pada buah dan sayur. Aroma citrus diduga lebih dapat diterima untuk pengaplikasian pada buah sehingga dapat menjadi saran pengaplikasian kedepannya.

The massive import of fresh fruits into Indonesia is partly driven by the relatively low quality of locally produced fruits, such as longan, which is partly attributable to the use of conventional packaging that functions solely as a barrier against physical contamination. This situation underscores the importance of developing active packaging technology. This study aims to design and evaluate an ethanol–peppermint oil emitter (EPOE) as an active packaging system for fresh longan fruit. The EPOE integrates ethanol as an antimicrobial agent, peppermint oil as an aroma masking agent as well as an additional antimicrobial, and sodium stearate as a controlled-release agent. Four types of emitters were prepared, namely an ethanol emitter (EE) and ethanol emitters with three concentrations of peppermint oil (EPOE 0,5×MIC; 1×MIC; 2×MIC). Emitter characterization focused on in vitro antifungal activity, moisture vapor absorption capacity, and controlled-release behavior. The emitters were subsequently applied to longan fruit with variations in placement position (top, bottom, and bottom-small), and their effectiveness was evaluated through four physical quality parameters, including fruit decay level, weight loss, pericarp color, and sensory acceptability. Characterization results demonstrated that EPOE 2 MIC exhibited the highest relative inhibition rate of antifungal activity, reaching 91%. Although the hypothesis regarding moisture vapor absorption capacity was not supported across all emitter types, the addition of peppermint oil did not alter the controlled-release system, thereby supporting its application throughout fruit storage. In the application to longan storage, all emitter treatments showed no significant effect on fruit weight loss during storage; rather, the primary effect was attributed to the passive packaging employed, which effectively minimized excessive moisture evaporation from the longan. The EPOE 2 MIC bottom-small treatment (placed at the base of the packaging) was identified as the best treatment, as it exhibited the lowest decay level on the final day of storage and demonstrated superior pericarp color appearance, as evidenced by the lowest ?E value and the highest hedonic score for color attributes, thereby indicating minimal pericarp browning. However, with respect to the aroma attribute, EPOE bottom-small obtained the lowest hedonic score. Several individual responses indicated that the peppermint aroma was perceived as excessively strong and distinctive, overpowering the natural aroma of longan; furthermore, the peppermint aroma is associated with a herbal scent, making it less suitable for use on fruits and vegetables. A citrus-based aroma is suggested as a potentially more acceptable alternative for fruit applications and may warrant future research.