Impact of packaging materials on quality and shelf life of dehydrated moringa leaves

Abstract:

A policy statement from Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health identifies moringa (Moringa oleifera) as a priority crop for combating micronutrient malnutrition, yet most dried moringa sold in local markets comes in unsealed plastic bags that allow rapid quality deterioration. This research compared aluminium foil pouches, Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) bags, and kraft paper bags for their ability to preserve the nutritional quality and colour of dehydrated moringa leaf powder over 90 days of ambient storage (28-34 deg C, 65-80% RH) at the Savanna Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zaria, Nigeria. A completely randomised design with three packaging types and five sampling intervals (0, 15, 30, 60, 90 days) was used. Aluminium foil maintained the highest vitamin C retention (84.3% at 90 days vs 52.1% in kraft paper), the lowest moisture gain (7.4% vs 11.0%), and the best colour preservation (Hunter L* value drop of only 4.2 units vs 12.8 in kraft paper). Beta-carotene retention followed the same ranking. LDPE bags performed intermediately. These findings indicate that aluminium foil packaging is the most effective option for preserving dehydrated moringa quality in Nigeria's hot, humid storage conditions.