Fish Pond Storage Preserves Chili Puree, but Nitrogen Flow-Through Fails: Unravelling the Mechanism

Abstract

Perishable food preservation in rural and resource-limited settings remains a significant challenge, as conventional techniques frequently depend on synthetic additives or energy-intensive processes incompatible with green chemistry principles. This study evaluated fish pond immersion as a novel, low-cost preservation method for freshly ground chili purée, investigating its efficacy with and without continuous nitrogen gas flow. Chili purée samples were packaged in sealed plastic containers and assigned to two treatment conditions: direct pond immersion and pond immersion with nitrogen flow-through simulating modified atmosphere storage. Quality parameters, including pH, moisture content, color, microbial count, and sensory attributes, were monitored at weekly intervals over a four-week storage period. Nitrogen flow-through storage proved ineffective, with samples exhibiting accelerated microbial growth and more rapid deterioration in sensory quality compared to controls. In contrast, samples stored by direct pond immersion without nitrogen demonstrated superior stability across all quality indicators throughout the storage period. These findings indicate that the preservative effect of fish pond storage is not attributable to nitrogen gas alone, but is likely mediated by physico-chemical and ecological characteristics of the pond environment. Further investigation is warranted to identify the specific mechanisms involved and to optimize fish pond storage as a scalable, sustainable food preservation strategy for short-term applications in low-resource contexts.