SKIN PITTING OF KIWIFRUIT DURING STORAGE

Author:	F. Gorini
Keywords:	precoding, low temperature, freezing injury, maturity
Abstract: In some commercial packing houses, kiwifruit with epidermic and subepidermic damage during cold storage were observed. This skin pitting manifests itself in little brown spots on damaged fruit. After being kept at room temperature for a few days, the spots become hollow without increasing in diameter and if the skin is removed, a thin suberose layer can be seen. Microbiological culture of damaged tissues did not result in the development of any moulds. The damage appeared under different conditions, i.e.: when fruits were air cooled with low-temperature air (of about-8 C or higher); when fruits submitted to pre-hydrocooling were stored wet in the cold room; when storage temperature was set from the beginning at -1 or -1.5 C, as generally was the case with early picked fruit. The skin pitting symptoms were often observed in association with typical freezing injuries such as tissue yellowing, desiccation and alcoholic flavour. This skin pitting damage is definitely due to slight freezing injury.
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