Cabbage (Brassica oleraceae var. capitata) quality grading at two storage temperatures

Common cabbage (Brassica oleraceae var. capitata) is the leading leafy vegetable in the Philippines.
Quality grading is vital to establish a system of grade standardization and classification that can be used as research, education and industry standards.
This study evaluated the quality attributes of head cabbage at commercial mature stage and their changes during storage at 7-10 and 21-25°C. Quality at harvest was mainly determined by head solidity, size, weight, and absence of defects that included yellowing of outer leaves, insect damage particularly by the Diamond back moth, bacterial soft rot, immaturity (puffy heads) and mechanical injury.
During postharvest storage, loss in quality was due to yellowing and wilting of outer leaves and bacterial soft rot that usually started at the cut butt end, which necessitated trimming of affected parts.
Trimming loss and weight loss increased with storage at a faster rate at 21-25°C resulting in much shorter shelf life than at 7-10°C. Yellowing and wilting of outer leaves limited the shelf at both storage temperatures; additionally at 21-25°C, bacterial soft rot contributed to quality deterioration.

III Asia Pacific Symposium on Postharvest Research, Education and Extension: APS2014

A. Valida, F.R. Rivera, A. Salabao, M. Benitez, E. Sudaria, A. Acedo, J. Ekman

quality standards, grade classification, temperature effects

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1213.17