Articles
HOT WATER DIPS AND MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING AFFECT POSTHARVEST DECAY IN CHERRY TOMATOES
Article number
914_51
Pages
283 – 286
Language
English
Abstract
Cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) Uber and Dorotea, respectively a nor and a conventional type, were either subjected to hot water dip (HWD) for 2 min at 40, 45 or 50°C, or not dipped (control). Following treatments tomatoes were placed in polystyrene trays and sealed either with a laser-perforated film (OTR 3000 cm3 O2/m2, 24 h) or with the same film not subjected to laser perforation but punctured 40 times by a 2-mm-diameter needle, or left unwrapped.
Fruit were then stored at 20°C and 60-65% RH and checked for decay after 7, 10 or 15 days.
HWD caused severe cracking in Dorotea tomatoes: two hours after the treatments about 6, 8 and 23% of fruit dipped in water heated at 40, 45 and 50°C, respectively, exhibited visible cracks.
Although only visibly sound fruit were packaged, Dorotea tomatoes continued to crack during storage, especially those dipped at 50°C and wrapped with the laser perforated film.
In contrast, in Uber tomatoes cracking incidence was negligible.
Decay increased with storage time, but was also significantly affected by cultivar, HWD and film wrapping.
After 7 days of storage decay was negligible in both cultivars, while after 10 and 15 days decay incidence in Dorotea and Uber increased to 6-12 and 2-5%, respectively.
Decay incidence was highest in packages sealed with the laser perforated film, while it was lowest in unwrapped fruit.
HWD effectively reduced decay in Uber tomatoes, and its activity was correlated positively with temperature; in contrast in Dorotea the best decay control was achieved in fruit dipped in water at 45°C. After 15 days of storage Dorotea tomatoes dipped in water at 50°C and wrapped with the laser perforated film and Control Dorotea tomatoes reported the highest decay percentage (>30%), while in Uber tomatoes subjected to the same treatment only 3% of decay occurred.
Fruit were then stored at 20°C and 60-65% RH and checked for decay after 7, 10 or 15 days.
HWD caused severe cracking in Dorotea tomatoes: two hours after the treatments about 6, 8 and 23% of fruit dipped in water heated at 40, 45 and 50°C, respectively, exhibited visible cracks.
Although only visibly sound fruit were packaged, Dorotea tomatoes continued to crack during storage, especially those dipped at 50°C and wrapped with the laser perforated film.
In contrast, in Uber tomatoes cracking incidence was negligible.
Decay increased with storage time, but was also significantly affected by cultivar, HWD and film wrapping.
After 7 days of storage decay was negligible in both cultivars, while after 10 and 15 days decay incidence in Dorotea and Uber increased to 6-12 and 2-5%, respectively.
Decay incidence was highest in packages sealed with the laser perforated film, while it was lowest in unwrapped fruit.
HWD effectively reduced decay in Uber tomatoes, and its activity was correlated positively with temperature; in contrast in Dorotea the best decay control was achieved in fruit dipped in water at 45°C. After 15 days of storage Dorotea tomatoes dipped in water at 50°C and wrapped with the laser perforated film and Control Dorotea tomatoes reported the highest decay percentage (>30%), while in Uber tomatoes subjected to the same treatment only 3% of decay occurred.
Publication
Authors
S. D’Aquino, M. Schirra, A. Palma, F. Mura, V. Balmas
Keywords
cherry tomato, decay, hot water dip, modified atmosphere packaging, storage
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