S. Nanda et al., Effects of shrink film wrapping and storage temperature on the shelf life and quality of pomegranate fruits cv. Ganesh, POSTH BIOL, 22(1), 2001, pp. 61-69
The effects of individual shrink film wrapping with two polyolefin films (B
DF-2001 and D-955) and skin coating with a sucrose polyester (SPE) Semperfr
esh(TM) on the shelf life and quality of soft-seeded 'Ganesh' pomegranates
(Punica granatum L.) stored at 8, 15 and 25 degreesC were studied. The shri
nk-wrapped pomegranates could be stored for 12, 9 and 4 weeks as compared t
o 8, 6 and 2 weeks by SPE coating at 8, 15 and 25 degreesC respectively, wh
ereas non-wrapped fruits could be kept for 7, 5 and 1 week under similar st
orage conditions. Peel thickness and freshness and firmness of the fruit we
re retained and weight loss greatly reduced by shrink wrapping. The weight
loss in shrink-wrapped fruits was 1.2-1.3% after 12 weeks of storage at 8 d
egreesC and 2.2-3.7% after 10 weeks at 15 degreesC. During the same period
non-wrapped fruits lost 20.4 and 30.7% at 8 and 15 degreesC, respectively.
Changes in acidity, sugars and vitamin C of the shrink-wrapped fruits were
lower than that of non-wrapped fruits during 12 weeks of storage at 8 degre
esC. Shrink wrapping also reduced the respiration rate of the fruit. No det
ectable levels of ethylene were produced during storage of pomegranates. (C
) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.