Effects of Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Shelf Life of Turkish Delight (Lokum)

Turkish delight is a sugar-based jellylike confection that has been produced for hundreds of years. In this study, four different modified atmospheres were created in order to extend the shelf life of Turkish delight. Microbiological analyses and sensory evaluations were conducted at the beginning of storage and at 7-day intervals thereafter. Microbiological analyses showed that the numbers of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria within samples stored in a modified atmosphere of 30% CO2 plus 70% N-2 were lower than in the other modified atmospheres. According to sensory evaluations, the samples kept in a modified atmosphere of 50% CO2 plus 50% N-2 were unacceptable after the 21st day of storage, whereas those kept in modified atmospheres of both 25% CO2 plus 75% N-2 and 30% CO2 plus 70% N-2 were found to be acceptable even after 30 days of storage.