Controlling temperature and water loss to maintain ascorbic acid levels in strawberries during postharvest handling

Maria Cecilia N. Nunes, J. K. Brecht*, A. M.M.B. Morais, S. A. Sargent

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

119 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

'Chandler', 'Oso Grande' and 'Sweet Charlie' strawberries were stored for 8 days at 1 or 10°C, or 4 days at 20°C, either unwrapped or wrapped in PVC film to retard water loss. Total ascorbic acid (AA) content was expressed on a dry weight basis to correct for water loss differences between treatments. Loss of AA was low and did not differ between wrapped treatments at 1 and 10°C, but was much greater at 20°C. Wrapping reduced AA loss by 5-fold at 1 and 10°C and by 2-fold at 20°C. The effect was not due to modification of O2 and CO2 levels in wrapped treatments, which was minimal. The results indicate that water loss had a greater effect on AA levels than temperature. Combining wrapping with storage at 1 or 10°C reduced AA loss by 7.5-fold compared to unwrapped strawberries stored at 20°C.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1033-1036
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Food Science
Volume63
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 1998

Keywords

  • Ascorbic acid
  • Strawberry
  • Temperature
  • Vitamin C
  • Water loss

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