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Quality and storage stability of gluten-free vegan carrot cake packed in modified atmospheres

Authors

  • Aneta Stajikj Faculty of Technology and Technical Sciences, St. Kliment Ohridski University-Bitola, Dimitar Vlahov, 1400, Veles, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9258-7966
  • Anka Trajkovska Petroska 1. Faculty of Technology and Technical Sciences, St. Kliment Ohridski University-Bitola, Dimitar Vlahov, 1400, Veles, Republic of North Macedonia; 2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-no, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9258-7966
  • Jana Klopchevska Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Rugjer Boskovic 16, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1750-1939
  • Elena Velickova Nikova Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Rugjer Boskovic 16, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3259-5726
  • Vesna Rafajlovska Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Rugjer Boskovic 16, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5888-5655

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20450/mjcce.2026.3519

Keywords:

gluten-free vegan cake, moisture ratio, texture, color values, microbiological status, sensory bellow gluten

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different packaging gas compositions: air (AIR), 100 % N₂ (inert atmosphere, INE), and 30 % CO₂/70 % N₂ (modified atmosphere, MAP), on the quality of gluten-free vegan carrot cake stored at room temperature (20 ± 2 °C) for 35 days. Physicochemical properties, microbiological stability, and sensory characteristics of the cakes were assessed. Among the tested conditions, the MAP treatment showed the most favorable overall performance. Sensory evaluation indicated that MAP-packaged samples achieved the highest scores (4.5 out of 5) even after 35 days of storage. Microbiological stability remained within acceptable limits (< 3 log colony-forming units, cfu/g sample) under both MAP and INE, while AIR-packaged samples exhibited faster spoilage. Moisture loss was significantly reduced under nitrogen packaging (12.21–15.51 %) compared with air-packaged samples (10–25 %), further indicating improved product stability. These results demonstrate that the composition of packaging gases plays a crucial role in maintaining product quality and stability. This study underscores the significant potential of MAP for the development of new plant-based, gluten-free bakery products with extended shelf life and preserved quality.

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2026-06-26

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How to Cite

Stajikj, A., Trajkovska Petroska, A. ., Klopchevska, J. ., Velickova Nikova, E., & Rafajlovska, V. (2026). Quality and storage stability of gluten-free vegan carrot cake packed in modified atmospheres . Macedonian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 45(1). https://doi.org/10.20450/mjcce.2026.3519

Issue

Vol. 45 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Food Chemistry

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Copyright (c) 2026 Aneta Stajikj, Anka Trajkovska Petroska, Jana Klopchevska, Elena Velickova Nikova, Vesna Rafajlovska

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.