Oleanolic acid combined with polyethylene packaging can mitigate greening of garlic paste and maintain its quality

Abstract BACKGROUND The demand for garlic paste is increasing as a result of accelerating lifestyles and health consciousness. However, garlic paste is prone to quality deterioration, specifically greening and off‐flavor. This study aimed to develop an effective method to extend the shelf life of garlic paste. RESULTS In the present study, 1.0 mg g −1 oleanolic acid (OA) treatment significantly maintain the color of garlic paste during storage. The greening strength at 440 nm and 590 nm of garlic paste of control group was 1.33 ± 0.02 and 0.96 ± 0.03, whereas that of OA was 1.07 ± 0.04 and 0.13 ± 0.02 on day 8, being significantly lower than that of the control. OA treatment maintained a higher allicin content by promoting γ ‐flutamyl transpeptidase and alliinase activities. The allicin content of garlic paste treated with OA was 1.6 times that of the control. Moreover, OA improved the content of several characteristic garlic volatiles, including 3‐vinyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐1,2‐dithiin, diallyl trisulfide, diallyl sulfide and diallyl disulfide to maintain the fresh flavor of garlic paste. Furthermore, 1.0 mg g −1 oleanolic acid combined with 0.20‐mm polyethylene packaging maintained the L * value during the whole storage time and improved the content of allicin to 88.39 ± 187.28 μg g −1 on day 8. CONCLUSION OA inhibited the greening of garlic paste, enhanced allicin content and improved garlic flavor to extend storage period of garlic paste. Moreover, OA combined with 0.20‐mm polyethylene packaging is beneficial for maitaining allicin content and the flavor of garlic paste. Therefore, this study provides a practical method for maintaining the quality of garlic paste. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.