Effect of packaging and storage conditions on quality of dehydrated curry leaf powder

Abstract:

Dehydrated curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) powder carries an appreciable share of post-dehydration loss - survey data from the Sri Lankan spice trade put it at 14.3 percent of finished stock each year. This research examined how three packaging materials and three storage temperatures shaped the quality trajectory of curry leaf powder over a 180-day window between August 2022 and January 2023. Powder produced from shade-dried leaves (final moisture 4.8%) was packed in low-density polyethylene (LDPE, 100 µm), high-density polyethylene (HDPE, 150 µm) and aluminium laminate pouches, then held at 15, 25 and 35 °C. Aluminium laminate at 15 °C gave the best composite performance, with chlorophyll retention of 71.4 percent, moisture gain limited to 1.3 percent and sensory score of 7.9 at 180 days. LDPE at 35 °C sat at the opposite end, losing 41.8 percent chlorophyll and exceeding the peroxide ceiling by day 90. Microbial load stayed within the spice board threshold only for aluminium laminate. A semi-log retention plot projected shelf life at 274 days for the best combination. The results argue for aluminium laminate packaging and 15 °C cold-room storage as the default for small-scale curry leaf powder units that supply regional markets.