ISHS Acta Horticulturae 269: Symposium on Tropical Fruit in International Trade
THE SHELF-LIFE OF BREADFRUIT STORED UNDER AMBIENT AND REFRIGERATED CONDITIONS |
| Authors: | R. Maharaj, C.K. Sankat |
| Abstract:
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is widely grown and consumed in the fresh form in the Caribbean Islands. Breadfruits have a very short postharvest life of 3–5 days under ambient conditions. This severly restricts local marketing and particularly its export. In an experimental storage trial to evaluate shelf-life, mature fruits were stored for a period of 8 days under ambient (28°C) conditions and 25 days under refrigerated (8, 12, 16°C) conditions. All fruits were washed, treated with a fungicidal solution and pre-cooled. Two groups of fruits were examined in storage, those packaged in sealed polyethylene bags and an untreated (no package) group. Untreated fruits stored under ambient (28°C) conditions lost weight and volume rapidly, softened quickly and showed considerable increases in soluble solids. A shelflife of 2–3 days after harvest was possible. Similarly stored fruits but which were packaged showed considerable reductions in weight losses and no shrinkage, with fruit colour, soluble solids and firmness maintained satisfactorily for 5 days. Untreated fruits stored under refrigerated conditions showed reduced weight losses, shrinkage, soluble solids and softening compared to ambient stored fruits. Packaging further reduced metabolic activity in refrigeration, particularly noticeable at 12°C and 16°C, compared to 8°C, as fruit firmness, citric acid and soluble solids content were maintained. The limiting factor in improving the shelf-life of stored breadfruit in refrigeration was browning of the fruit skin, with this being very rapid (4 days) at the lowest temperature (8°C). Packaging had a small, positive effect on browning, and at 12–16°C, a shelf-life of 14 days appears possible compared to 10 days for fruit without packaging. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
