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

• Published in: Postharvest biology and technology Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 61 - 69
• Main Authors: Nanda, S, Sudhakar Rao, D.V, Krishnamurthy, Shantha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier B.V 01-03-2001; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Composition; Economic plant physiology; Food industries; Fructification, ripening. Postharvest physiology; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Growth and development; Pomegranate; Respiration; Shrink wrapping; Skin coating; Storage temperature; Storage temperature; Composition; Shrink wrapping; Skin coating; Respiration; Pomegranate; Temperature; Fruit; Weight loss; Punica granatum; Shelf life; Wrapping; Postharvest physiology; Dicotyledones; Quality; Angiospermae; Shrinkable film; Punicaceae; Spermatophyta; Application method; Fruit tree
• ISSN: 0925-5214; 1873-2356
• DOI: 10.1016/S0925-5214(00)00181-2

The effects of individual shrink film wrapping with two polyolefin films (BDF-2001 and D-955) and skin coating with a sucrose polyester (SPE) Semperfresh™ on the shelf life and quality of soft-seeded ‘Ganesh’ pomegranates (
Punica granatum L.) stored at 8, 15 and 25°C were studied. The shrink-wrapped pomegranates could be stored for 12, 9 and 4 weeks as compared to 8, 6 and 2 weeks by SPE coating at 8, 15 and 25°C respectively, whereas non-wrapped fruits could be kept for 7, 5 and 1 week under similar storage conditions. Peel thickness and freshness and firmness of the fruit were 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°C and 2.2–3.7% after 10 weeks at 15°C. During the same period non-wrapped fruits lost 20.4 and 30.7% at 8 and 15°C, 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°C. Shrink wrapping also reduced the respiration rate of the fruit. No detectable levels of ethylene were produced during storage of pomegranates.