Effect of storage atmosphere on juice retention in pomegranate fruits: insights from ‘Acco’ and ‘Wonderful’ cultivars

Pomegranate fruit quality can decline during long-term storage, primarily due to dehydration and physiological changes affecting juice yield and overall sensory quality.
This study aimed to examine the effects of cold storage and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the juice percentage of two commercially important pomegranate cultivars, ‘Acco’ and ‘Wonderful’. Fruits were stored for 90 days at 6-7°C and 95% relative humidity under two conditions: standard cold storage and cold storage combined with MAP. Juice percentage was measured at harvest (Day 0), after 90 days of cold storage (Day 90), and after 90 days of MAP storage (Day 90-MAP). In addition to juice percentage, fruit size classes were also considered in the experimental design to investigate potential size-related variations in juice retention.
At harvest, juice percentages were 39.81% for ‘Acco’ and 42.37% for ‘Wonderful’. After 90 days of cold storage, both cultivars exhibited significant declines to 35.80 and 35.29%, respectively.
In contrast, fruits stored under MAP conditions showed improved retention of juice content, reaching 38.02% for ‘Acco’ and 41.07% for ‘Wonderful’. Overall, the results indicate that MAP application can substantially reduce postharvest dehydration and maintain higher juice content during long-term cold storage of pomegranates.
These findings highlight the potential of MAP as an effective strategy for preserving pomegranate quality during extended storage periods.

IV International Symposium on Beverage Crops

İ. Kahramanoğlu, S. Usanmaz

postharvest storage, juice percentage, modified atmosphere packaging, cold storage, fruit quality

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1466.59