Calcium Concentration in Apple Fruit Resulting from Calcium Chloride Dips Modified by Surfactants and Thickeners1

Abstract

Abstract Fruits of ‘Spartan’ apple were dipped in solutions of commercial CaCl 2 after harvest to increase their Ca concentration. Fruits were stored until the following June, then the flesh was analyzed for Ca. Undipped fruit contained 203 ppm Ca and fruit dipped in 4% CaCl 2 (wt/vol) contained 278 ppm Ca, dry weight basis. When surfactants were added to the CaCl 2 solution, the Ca concentration in dipped fruit was 230 to 250 ppm. When thickeners and surfactants were added, the Ca concentration in dipped fruit was 373 to 825 ppm. These results indicate that surfactants reduce the uptake of Ca by fruit from dips but thickners with surfactants increase it