Articles
The impact of DCA-CF, 1-MCP and waxing on apple quality under simulated extreme transport and shelf life conditions
Article number
1386_12
Pages
87 – 94
Language
English
Abstract
Transport routes for apple fruit can vary from a few days within the European Union (EU) for up to 40 days to reach distant markets.
Moreover, fruits can be exposed to adverse shelf-life conditions such as high temperature and humidity in these markets that are seldom encountered in the western standard markets.
These further challenges for the assurance of fruit quality along the entire supply chain require the application of optimal quality maintenance systems beginning with postharvest handling.
The objective of the present work was to investigate the impact of different storage technologies regarding the subsequent fruit quality preservation under extreme transport and shelf-life conditions.
The most promising options to counteract quality degradation were investigated: storage under dynamic controlled atmosphere by the means of chlorophyll fluorescence (DCA-CF), 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment and waxing. Red Delicious, Granny Smith apples, chosen for their susceptibility to superficial scald and for their differing quality degradation pattern, were stored for 7 months.
Transportation was then simulated by storing the fruits for 40 days in air at 1.3°C. Shelf-life conditions typical for the Indian market of 30°C during the day (exhibition) and 10°C at night (refrigeration) were simulated for 7 and 21 days, and compared to a standard shelf-life for 7 days at 20°C without transportation.
Compared with ultralow oxygen (ULO), the application of DCA-CF and the combination with 1-MCP treatment, counteracted fruit quality loss.
Beneficial effects, especially on maintaining firmness and reducing superficial scald incidence, were more pronounced at the extreme shelf-life condition, leading to the highest quality gap between conventional and innovative storage technologies.
Under these conditions, the storage under DCA-CF combined with 1-MCP treatment led to better fruit quality preservation, compared to ULO and even DCA-CF. The magnitude differed in the two seasons under investigation.
Moreover, fruits can be exposed to adverse shelf-life conditions such as high temperature and humidity in these markets that are seldom encountered in the western standard markets.
These further challenges for the assurance of fruit quality along the entire supply chain require the application of optimal quality maintenance systems beginning with postharvest handling.
The objective of the present work was to investigate the impact of different storage technologies regarding the subsequent fruit quality preservation under extreme transport and shelf-life conditions.
The most promising options to counteract quality degradation were investigated: storage under dynamic controlled atmosphere by the means of chlorophyll fluorescence (DCA-CF), 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment and waxing. Red Delicious, Granny Smith apples, chosen for their susceptibility to superficial scald and for their differing quality degradation pattern, were stored for 7 months.
Transportation was then simulated by storing the fruits for 40 days in air at 1.3°C. Shelf-life conditions typical for the Indian market of 30°C during the day (exhibition) and 10°C at night (refrigeration) were simulated for 7 and 21 days, and compared to a standard shelf-life for 7 days at 20°C without transportation.
Compared with ultralow oxygen (ULO), the application of DCA-CF and the combination with 1-MCP treatment, counteracted fruit quality loss.
Beneficial effects, especially on maintaining firmness and reducing superficial scald incidence, were more pronounced at the extreme shelf-life condition, leading to the highest quality gap between conventional and innovative storage technologies.
Under these conditions, the storage under DCA-CF combined with 1-MCP treatment led to better fruit quality preservation, compared to ULO and even DCA-CF. The magnitude differed in the two seasons under investigation.
Authors
S. Stürz, N. Sadar, I. Folie, A. Zanella
Keywords
storage technologies, dynamic controlled atmosphere, supply chain, Malus × domestica, superficial scald, Red Delicious, Granny Smith
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