Effect of shrink packaging in combination with rinsing and brushing treatment on chilling injury and decay of sweet pepper during storage

Abstract

Sweet bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a subtropical fruit. It is chilling-sensitive when stored at temperatures below 7°C for more than a week, while exported peppers are required to undergo a quarantine treat- ment of 3 weeks at 1.5°C against fruit fly which exacerbates chilling injury. Physical treatments to prevent chill- ing injury were investigated together with storage at 1.5°C to develop a successful quarantine protocol. The treat- ments, given both separately and in combination, were a hot water rinse (55°C for 15 s) over brushes (HWRB), and sealing each fruit in individual shrink packaging (Cryovac ® ). Data from two research seasons indicated that the combined treatment maintained the best fruit quality. This was evidenced by lower decay incidence, due to the HWRB, and almost no chilling injury due to the individual shrink packaging. Reduction in chilling injury was associated with a significant reduction in membrane leakage and lipoxygenase activity, and the induction of heat shock proteins (HSP) from the HSP70 family. Packing sweet pepper in shrink plastic film following HWRB enables pepper storage at 1.5°C for 3 weeks and, therefore, can serve as a good quarantine treatment.