Calidad postcosecha de tomates almacenados en atmósferas controladas

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

Horticultura Brasileira

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2002-03

RESUMO

Controlled atmosphere extends tomato shelf life, allowing them to be harvested them at later maturity stages and, at the same time, affecting their quality. The effects of controlled atmospheres were studied (low oxygen concentrations and free of carbon dioxide and ethylene), on color, firmness and the main components of tomato fruit taste, cv. Diva. On April 1998, fruits harvested at the turning stage (USDA) in INTA Balcarce (Argentina) were stored in 3 L hermetic flasks at 12ºC during 36 days. The experimental design was completely randomized with three replications. Each flask containing four fruits was considered as the experimental unit. Treatments were four, a flow through system of: a) 1%, b) 3%, c) 5% and d) 21% (check) of oxygen balanced with nitrogen to 100%. Color, measured with a colorimeter, changed more slowly and firmness remained higher with decreasing oxygen concentrations. The final color of fruits at 5% O2 was the same as those from check fruits. Fruits from the treatment 3% reached the optimum color only when transferred to 20ºC, while those stored at 1% did not reach a normal color. On the other side, and in all the treatments, soluble solids and titratable acidity were lower and pH was higher than those at the beginning. Color and firmness preferred by the consumers (Color index » 12 and firmness » 65 KPa) were reached after 7-day storage at 21% O2, 12 days at 5%, 14 days at 3% and 21 days at 1% according to decreasing values of the soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio. This would indicate that fruits externally alike could have different organoleptic properties. Effects observed could be related to both the low oxygen levels and the absence of ethylene.

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