SURFACE STERILIZATION OF WHOLE TOMATO FRUIT WITH SODIUM-HYPOCHLORITE INFLUENCES SUBSEQUENT POSTHARVEST BEHAVIOR OF FRESH-CUT SLICES

Authors
Citation
Jh. Hong et Kc. Gross, SURFACE STERILIZATION OF WHOLE TOMATO FRUIT WITH SODIUM-HYPOCHLORITE INFLUENCES SUBSEQUENT POSTHARVEST BEHAVIOR OF FRESH-CUT SLICES, Postharvest biology and technology, 13(1), 1998, pp. 51-58
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Agriculture,Horticulture,"Food Science & Tenology
ISSN journal
09255214
Volume
13
Issue
1
Year of publication
1998
Pages
51 - 58
Database
ISI
SICI code
0925-5214(1998)13:1<51:SSOWTF>2.0.ZU;2-7
Abstract
Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of concentration (0, 0.26 or 1.05%) and duration (0, 20 or 60 s) of sodium hypochlorite treatment on subsequent firmness, electrolyte leakage, respiration, a nd C2H4 production of light-red tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruit slices during storage at 5 degrees C under modified atmosphere (MA). Pericarp firmness of slices was lower for all treatments than fo r untreated controls. After 12 days of storage, pericarp firmness of s lices from fruit that had been treated with 1.05% sodium hypochlorite for 60 s was less than one-half the firmness of water-treated controls and lower than the other sodium hypochlorite treatments. The effect o f sodium hypochlorite on electrolyte leakage of slices stored at 5 deg rees C was more closely related to treatment duration than to sodium h ypochlorite concentration. The difference in electrolyte leakage betwe en control fruit and fruit treated with 1.05% sodium hypochlorite for 60 s was 14.2, 25.6, and 25% at 4, 8, and 12 days, respectively. Devel opment of water-soaked areas was observed on slices from fruit treated with sodium hypochlorite, but little development of water-soaked area s was detectable on slices from control fruit. An increase in C2H4 and CO2 production due to infection by Alternaria alternata was observed on slices from control fruit. These results suggest that routine surfa ce sterilization of tomato fruit prior to postharvest experimentation may lead to physiological and biochemical alterations in the behavior of fruit. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser ved.