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Influence of Packaging on Quality Retention of Longans (Dimocarpus longan) Under Constant and Fluctuating Postharvest Temperatures

2011; American Society for Horticultural Science; Volume: 46; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.21273/hortsci.46.6.917

2327-9834

Marisa M. Wall, Kate A. Nishijima, Lisa M. Keith, Mike A. Nagao,

Nanocomposite Films for Food Packaging

Longan ( Dimocarpus longan ) fruit production and global exports are rapidly expanding. Consumer acceptance of this high value crop requires that fruit arrive in excellent condition. Pericarp browning and fungal diseases are the main postharvest problems for longans. Research was conducted to establish optimum storage temperatures and packaging systems to retain fruit quality of ‘Biew Kiew’ longans. Average respiration rates for longans stored at 20 °C (61.6 mg CO 2 /kg/h) were about twice the rate as those stored at 10 °C (32.7 mg CO 2 /kg/h) and triple the rate for those stored at 5 °C (21.1 mg CO 2 /kg/h). Ethylene rates were below 0.4 μg·kg −1 ·h −1 . Fruit quality and shelf life were greatest when stored at 10 °C. Longans held at 20 °C were unmarketable after 10 d, and fruit stored at 5 °C exhibited chilling injury (CI). After storage at 10 °C, longans packaged in microperforated (MP) bags, clamshell (CL) containers, or Peakfresh® film (PF) had the highest visual quality ratings, lowest disease incidences, and longest shelf life when compared with fruit in Lifespan® film (LS) or fiberboard boxes. The most promising packages (MP, CL, PF) were evaluated further under constant 10 °C or simulated shipping (SS) conditions with fluctuating temperatures (22 °C/10 °C/22 °C). Longans in CL containers had the highest visual quality and lowest disease incidence when stored at 10 °C, but there were no differences among package treatments under SS conditions. Also, sensory ratings were greatest for fruit packed in CL or PF when stored at 10 °C but all sensory scores decreased under SS temperatures. When longans were stored under fluctuating temperatures, aril texture and flavor ratings were highest for CL packages. CL, PF, and MP are suitable packages for longans stored under optimal temperatures. However, for longans stored under SS conditions, sensory quality was highest when packaged in CL containers.