SEQUENTIAL TREATMENTS OF HOT WATER AND MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING IN CHERRY TOMATOES

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effects of hot water treatment (HWT) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the storage and fruit quality of cherry tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cvs. “Alona” and “Naomi”) were investigated. For this purpose, light‐red cherry tomato fruits were dipped in hot water (54C for 5 min) and subsequently stored in plastic film materials with various O 2 and CO 2 permeabilities. The cultivars used in the study were stored in a cold room at 5–7C and 90 ± 5% relative humidity (RH). The changing gas composition within the films and quality changes of the fruits were evaluated during the storage period. At the end of the study, HWT combined with MAP produced better results than MAP alone in both cultivars. Therefore, the HWT + MAP treatment proved effective with regard to fruit quality and delaying the maturity of cherry tomatoes during storage. HWT + 50 micropolyethylene (μPE) treatment produced the best result in the two cultivars at the end of the 28‐day storage with respect to the parameters evaluated in the study. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Tomato is considered a climacteric fruit, in which ripening is accompanied by a peak in respiration and a concomitant sharp increase in ethylene production, which accelerates quality loss through the physicochemical changes related to this process, such as softening and color evolution. Postharvest heating is a noncontaminating physical treatment that delays the ripening process, reduces chilling injury and controls the activity of pathogens. Because of these beneficial effects, heat treatments are currently used commercially for quality control of fresh products. Modified atmosphere packaging is another technique that has been used to prevent or retard postharvest fruit ripening and its associated biochemical and physiological changes by favorably altering the O 2 and CO 2 levels around the products. In recent years, the use of combined techniques in the postharvest handling of fresh products is increasing, and numerous authors have obtained good results using a combined treatment. Diseases have the potential to destroy the market value and utility of large amounts of fresh tomato annually. The present work evaluated a prestorage conditioning treatment to protect against these losses. The results will allow the long storage of cherry tomato, benefiting the growers, exporters, shippers and distributors of this horticultural product.

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