Effects of shrink film wrapping and storage temperature on the shelf life and quality of pomegranate fruits cv. Ganesh

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.