SUSCEPTIBILITY OF MINIMALLY PROCESSED GREEN-PEPPER AND CUCUMBER TO CHILLING INJURY AS OBSERVED BY APPARENT RESPIRATION RATE

Apparent respiration rate and total microbial count were measured for intact and cut vegetables of green chilli pepper and cucumber stored a t 5 and 10 degrees C. The minimally processed vegetables were more sen sitive to chilling injury at 5 degrees C compared to the intact produc e. Their response of increased respiration to chilling injury at 5 deg rees C was noticed earlier than spoilage due to microbial growth, and determined the limit of shelf-life (4 days) in storage. Due to increas ed susceptibility to chilling injury when these products were stored a t 5 degrees C, they had shelf-lives shorter than or equal to those at 10 degrees C.