Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp2 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Storage kinetics and shelf-life evaluation of tur dal analogues in diverse packaging systems

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14948
Submitted
11 April 2026
Published
21-06-2026

Abstract

Tur dal (Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth) is a key protein source in vegetarian diets, yet its natural form faces challenges related to storage vulnerability and long cooking time. While extrusion technology offers a means to produce nutrient-dense dal analogues with improved convenience, the storage stability of these porous matrices remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the effect of different packaging materials on the microbial, physicochemical and sensory quality of extruded tur dal analogues over a 300-day storage period. Optimised analogues were hermetically sealed in high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyethylene-polyethylene terephthalate (PE-PET) pouches and stored under 27 ± 3 °C (ambient conditions). Quality indices, including hardness, moisture content, cooking time, colour
kinetics, peroxide value (PV) and total plate count (TPC) were monitored at 30-day intervals. Throughout the 300-day study, all treatments exhibited significant increases (p < 0.05) in hardness, moisture and PV, primarily due to the hygroscopic properties of the extruded matrix and ongoing lipid oxidation. Polyethylene-polyethylene terephthalate pouches outperformed LDPE by providing a superior atmospheric barrier, successfully limiting PV to 0.44 meq/kg and moisture to 7.96 %. While all samples maintained microbiological safety standards (< 104 CFU/g) for the duration of the trial, the LDPE-packed treatments suffered from a notable decline in quality after 8 months, characterised by the development of unpleasant off-flavour and undesirable structural hardness. Ultimately, these findings underscore the critical role of barrierefficient packaging in maintaining the stability of extruded pulse matrices, offering a scalable strategy to enhance global protein security through convenient and shelf-stable legume-based alternatives.

References

  1. 1. Alcorta A, Porta A, Tárrega A, Alvarez MD, Vaquero MP. Foods for plant-based diets: challenges and innovations. Foods. 2021;10:293. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10020293
  2. 2. Kuna A, Lakshmiprasanna K, Kumar KV, Bhagyamma M, Rani VS. Evaluation of quick cooking redgram dhal (Cajanus cajan L.) developed with PJTSAU released varieties (TDRG-4, RGT-1 and WRGE-122). Asian J Dairy Food Res. 2021. https://doi.org/10.18805/ajdfr.DR-1765
  3. 3. Maphosa Y, Jideani VA. The role of legumes in human nutrition. In: Functional food - improve health through adequate food. InTech; 2017. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.69127
  4. 4. Ding QB, Ainsworth P, Plunkett A, Tucker G, Marson H. The effect of extrusion conditions on the functional and physical properties of wheat-based expanded snacks. J Food Eng. 2006;73:142–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2005.01.013
  5. 5. Choton S, Gupta N, Bandral JD, Anjum N, Choudary A. Extrusion technology and its application in food processing: a review. Pharma Innov. 2020;9:162–8. https://doi.org/10.22271/tpi.2020.v9.i2d.4367
  6. 6. Yovchev A, Stone A, Hood-Niefer S, Nickerson M. Influence of the extrusion parameters on the physical properties of chickpea and barley extrudates. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2017;26:393–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-017-0054-x
  7. 7. Altaf FU, Hussain SZ, Ishrat SA, Ayaz Q. Shelf life studies of the optimized extruded product developed by severe extrusion processing. Int J Chem Stud. 2019;7:667–70.
  8. 8. Shahzad R, Jamil S, Ahmad S, Nisar A, Khan S, Amina Z, et al. Biofortification of cereals and pulses using new breeding techniques: current and future perspectives. Front Nutr. 2021;8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.721728
  9. 9. Avnee, Sood S, Chaudhary DR, Jhorar P, Rana RS. Biofortification: an approach to eradicate micronutrient deficiency. Front Nutr. 2023;10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1233070
  10. 10. Alemayehu H, Emire SA, Henry C. Effects of extrusion process parameters on the quality properties of ready-to-eat pulse-based snacks. Cogent Food Agric. 2019;5:1641903. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2019.1641903
  11. 11. Perera D, Devkota L, Garnier G, Panozzo J, Dhital S. Hard-to-cook phenomenon in common legumes: chemistry, mechanisms and utilisation. Food Chem. 2023;415:135743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.135743
  12. 12. Ali IM, Forsido SF, Kuyu CG, Ahmed EH, Andersa KN, Chane KT, et al. Effects of extrusion process conditions on nutritional, anti-nutritional, physical, functional, and sensory properties of extruded snack: a review. Food Sci Nutr. 2024;12:8755–61. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.4472
  13. 13. Reddy MK, Kuna A, Devi NL, Krishnaiah N, Kaur C, Nagamalleswari Y. Development of extruded ready-to-eat (RTE) snacks using corn, black gram, roots and tuber flour blends. J Food Sci Technol. 2014;51:1929–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-013-1251-0
  14. 14. AOAC. Official methods of analysis. 17th ed. USA: Association of Official Analytical Chemists; 2005.
  15. 15. Hunter RS. Scales for the measurements of color difference. In: The measurement of appearance. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1975. p.133–40.
  16. 16. Meilgaard MC, Carr BT, Civille GV. Sensory evaluation techniques. CRC Press; 1999. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003040729
  17. 17. Dewan A, Tiwari M, Chhikara N, Khatkar BS. Functional foods. In: Chhikara N, Panghal A, Chaudhary G, editors. Wiley; 2022. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119776345.ch4
  18. 18. Ganjyal GM, Hanna MA. Effects of extruder die nozzle dimensions on expansion and micrographic characterization during extrusion of acetylated starch. Starch Stärke. 2004;56:108–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/star.200300200
  19. 19. Yadav U, Singh RRB, Arora S. Evaluation of quality changes in nutritionally enriched extruded snacks during storage. J Food Sci Technol. 2018;55:3939–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-018-3319-3
  20. 20. Wang S, Li C, Copeland L, Niu Q, Wang S. Starch retrogradation: a comprehensive review. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2015;14:568–85. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12143
  21. 21. Grzybowska EA. Calcium-binding proteins with disordered structure and their role in secretion, storage, and cellular signaling. Biomolecules. 2018;8:42. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom8020042
  22. 22. Uebersax MA, Siddiq M, Borbi M. Hard-to-cook and other storage induced quality defects in dry beans. In: Dry beans and pulses. Wiley; 2022. p. 105–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119776802.ch5
  23. 23. van Boekel MAJS. Formation of flavour compounds in the Maillard reaction. Biotechnol Adv. 2006;24:230–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2005.11.004
  24. 24. Patras A, Brunton NP, O'Donnell C, Tiwari BK. Effect of thermal processing on anthocyanin stability in foods; mechanisms and kinetics of degradation. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2010;21:3–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2009.07.004
  25. 25. Rokhsana F, Yeasmin R, Nahar A. Studies on the development and storage stability of legume and vegetable based soup powder. Bangladesh J Agric Res. 2008;32:451–9. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v32i3.547
  26. 26. Wibowo S, Buvé C, Hendrickx M, Van Loey A, Grauwet T. Integrated science-based approach to study quality changes of shelf-stable food products during storage: a proof of concept on orange and mango juices. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2018;73:76–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2018.01.006
  27. 27. Ross CF, Smith DM. Use of volatiles as indicators of lipid oxidation in muscle foods. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2006;5:18–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2006.tb00077.x
  28. 28. Beuchat LR, Komitopoulou E, Beckers H, Betts RP, Bourdichon F, Fanning S, et al. Low-water activity foods: increased concern as vehicles of foodborne pathogens. J Food Prot. 2013;76:150–72. https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-12-211
  29. 29. FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations. New Delhi: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; 2011.
  30. 30. Kilcast D, Subramaniam P, editors. Food and beverage stability and shelf life. Elsevier; 2011. https://doi.org/10.1533/9780857092540

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.