PROLONGING THE SHELF-LIFE OF FRESH GREEN CHILE PEPPERS THROUGH MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING AND LOW-TEMPERATURE STORAGE

The postharvest quality of green chile fruit was compared after storag e in 3 types of packages at 2 temperatures (24C and 8C). Package types were corrugated cardboard boxes, pressed cardboard trays overwrapped with VF-71 polyethylene, or low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags. Frui t packaged in boxes or overwrapped trays had 24.8% and 10.1% weight lo ss, respectively, after 1 week of storage at 24C. Fruit packaged in po lyethylene bags lost 0.3% weight and remained green. After 1 week at 8 C, the weight losses were 3.8%, 1.8% and 0% for the boxed, overwrapped and bagged treatments, respectively. Postharvest quality was maintain ed up to 4 weeks when fruit were packaged in LDPE bags and stored at 8 C. In a second study steady state O-2 and CO2 levels were determined i nside the LDPE packages as fruit weight and temperature were varied. S torage temperatures were 24C, 16C and 8C. At 8C, steady state O-2 leve ls ranged from 12.0 kPa to 0.9 kPa, and CO2 levels ranged from 2.0 kPa to 46 kPa as fruit weight was increased from 120 to 480 g. At 24C and 16C, fruit packaged in 480 g units had slower ripening rates than fru it packaged in smaller units; however, fruit stored at 8C remained gre en the longest, regardless of fruit weight.