Open Access
Efecto del estado de madurez y atmósferas modificadas sobre la calidad de cerezas cv. Sweetheart
(Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 2004) Horvitz Szoichet, Sandra Susana; Yommi, Alejandra; López Camelo, Andrés; Godoy, Carlos; Tecnología de Alimentos; Elikagaien Teknologia
Se estudió el efecto de cosechar cerezas en dos estados de madurez, así como el uso de atmósferas modificadas empleando PBD y PVC, sobre la calidad de fruta almacenada a 0 °C durante 21 y 42 días, respectivamente. La calidad fue evaluada en base a pérdida de peso (%), color (ángulo hue), firmeza, contenido de sólidos solubles, aspecto de los pedicelos y presencia de podredumbres. La fruta cosechada más madura presentó color, sólidos solubles y firmeza adecuados durante los 21 días a 0 °C, pero el almacenamiento estuvo limitado por la deshidratación de los pedicelos, que mantuvieron aspecto comercial sólo durante una semana. Para ambos estados de madurez, la pérdida de peso fue importante y se registró aumento del contenido de sólidos solubles y firmeza. Sin embargo, la fruta cosechada más inmadura no alcanzó en ningún momento la coloración ni contenido de azúcares de la fruta cosechada en estado de madurez más avanzado. Mediante el uso de las bolsas PBD se logró minimizar la deshidratación y mantener las características organolépticas de la fruta, así como un alto porcentaje de pedicelos con buen aspecto y color durante los 42 días de conservación en frío. El uso de PVC se vio limitado por el deterioro de los pedicelos que afectó alrededor del 50 % de la fruta analizada al término de la primera semana.
Open Access
Effects of temperature and semi-permeable film on quality of stored artichokes (Cynara scolymus L.)
(ISHS, 2001) Yommi, Alejandra; Giletto, C.; Horvitz Szoichet, Sandra Susana; López Camelo, Andrés; Tecnología de Alimentos; Elikagaien Teknologia
Artichoke's shelf life at room temperature is limited to only a few days. Quick removal of field temperature and storage at 0-5°C with 90% RH contribute to maintain quality (Miccolis et al., 1988). Previous results (Yommi et al., 1996) indicate that packing with HDPE reduced weight loss and extended postharvest life of artichoke heads. To prevent internal browning, the equilibrium atmosphere inside the bags should be above 2% O2 and below 3% CO2 (Saltveit, 1989). The aim of this study was to evaluate quality changes of stored artichokes at 5°C or room temperature and packed with different semi-permeable films.
Open Access
Application of ozone for the postharvest treatment of fruits and vegetables
(Taylor & Francis , 2013-11-04) Horvitz Szoichet, Sandra Susana; Cantalejo Díez, María Jesús; Tecnología de Alimentos; Elikagaien Teknologia; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD
Fruits and vegetables consumption has risen noticeably during recent decades, leading to a greater frequency of foodborne illnesses associated with fresh produce. Novel industrial applications and improvements in ozone technology together with new regulatory actions worldwide have emerged in recent years, making its use in the food industry easier. This technology has attracted considerable commercial interest, especially because ozone does not leave any residues on the treated produce and it is also accepted by many organic grower organizations. However, discrepancies regarding the efficacy of this technology are often found in the bibliography and further research is still needed. These differences could be attributed to a great variability in the conditions of the research work: method of ozone generation and application, O3 concentration and exposure time to the gas, as well as the way in which produce is packed. In this sense, standardization in the working conditions and in the units to measure ozone concentration will be useful to better understand the mode of action and the effects of ozone on food products. Consequently, it would be possible to improve its potential as a sanitizer in the food industry.
Open Access
Application of gibberellic acid to 'Sweetheart' sweet cherries: Effects on fruit quality at harvest and during cold storage
(ISHS, 2003) Horvitz Szoichet, Sandra Susana; Godoy, Carlos; López Camelo, Andrés; Yommi, Alejandra; Tecnología de Alimentos; Elikagaien Teknologia
Large cherry fruit are preferred by most consumers and gibberellic acid (GA) can be used to increase fruit size and firmness. The effects of a preharvest GA application on quality of 'Sweetheart' cherries at harvest and during cold storage were evaluated. Treated trees were sprayed with 10 and 30 ppm GA when fruit color was straw-yellow (approx. 74 °hue). When fruit reached their commercial color (approx. 21 °hue), samples of 20 fruit/tree were harvested and quality was evaluated in terms of: weight, size, color, firmness, flesh/stone ratio, pedicel aspect, soluble solids content (SSC) and cracking index. Additional samples of 20 units were placed in plastic trays, packed in LDPE bags and stored at 0 °C for 21 days. Fresh weight loss, firmness, color, SSC and pedicel condition were measured on a weekly basis. Treated fruit reached harvest maturity 5 days later than control fruit and were larger, heavier, and firmer compared with controls. 10 ppm GA-treated fruit had the highest flesh/stone ratio, followed by 30 ppm GA and untreated fruit, while no significant differences were found for SSC and cracking index. During cold storage, fruit treated with 30 ppm GA were significantly firmer than those given 10 ppm GA and these, in turn, were firmer than the controls. Fresh weight loss was negligible and firmness increased towards the end of the experiment in all the treatments. GA treatments did not affect color or SSC, but increased the percentage of cherries with commercial pedicels. The 5-day delay in the harvest date, extending the fruit growing period, may be responsible for the increase in size, weight and firmness obtained with GA. These differences were also maintained during the 21 days of cold storage when treated fruit maintained a superior quality to control fruit.
Open Access
Effects of ozone and chlorine postharvest treatments on quality of fresh-cut red bell peppers
(Oxford University Press, 2012-06-20) Horvitz Szoichet, Sandra Susana; Cantalejo Díez, María Jesús; Tecnología de Alimentos; Elikagaien Teknologia; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD
The effects of chlorine (200 μL L¯¹), ozonated water (1 μL L¯¹) and gaseous ozone (0.7 μL L¯¹) on physicochemical attributes and microbial quality of minimally processed red bell peppers were studied. In all the experiments, O2 continuously decreased and CO2 concentration increased, the pH augmented and a significant softening was observed in all the fruits. By day 14, L* values decreased in all the fruits, with the greatest changes found in the chlorinated samples (approximately 12 units). Peppers treated with the aqueous solutions showed greater changes in the quality attributes with increasing washing times and especially when chlorine was used. The exposure for three min to gaseous O3 reduced the mesophiles, psychrotrophes and fungal populations of the fresh-cut peppers in 2.5, 3.3 and 1.8 log units, respectively. Combined with modified atmosphere, this could be an appropriate method to maintain the quality and extend the storage period of minimally processed red bell peppers.
Open Access
Effects of gaseous O3 and modified atmosphere packaging on the quality and shelf-life of partially dehydrated ready-to-eat pepper strips
(Springer, 2015-05-26) Horvitz Szoichet, Sandra Susana; Cantalejo Díez, María Jesús; Tecnología de Alimentos; Elikagaien Teknologia; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD
The efficacy of gaseous O3 (0.7 µl.l-1, 3 min) together with different modified atmospheres (5/5 and 10/5 kPa O2/kPa CO2, respectively) was investigated for extending the shelf-life of partially dehydrated red pepper strips stored at 8 ± 1 ºC. Changes in gas composition inside the packages, physicochemical, nutritional, sensory and microbiological quality were periodically evaluated. The best results were obtained in the O3-treated samples stored under a modified atmosphere of 5 kPa O2/5 kPa CO2. In effect, the reduction in the pH, the loss of lightness, red color and firmness and microbial growth were greater and were detected earlier in the control samples and in those peppers stored with 10 kPa O2. Based on these results, the shelf-life of the peppers held in 10 kPa O2/5 kPa CO2 was 42 days, whereas packing the peppers with 5 kPa O2/5 kPa CO2 extended the shelf-life of the samples up to 59 days. Thus, the combination of O3, partial dehydration and modified atmosphere packaging could be effective in maintaining the quality and extending the shelf-life of ready-to-eat partially dehydrated pepper strips.
Open Access
Postharvest handling of berries
(IntechOpen, 2017-09-13) Horvitz Szoichet, Sandra Susana; Tecnología de Alimentos; Elikagaien Teknologia
Strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are highly appreciated fruits due to their unique taste and high content in antioxidant and bioactive compounds. They are rich in phenolic compounds, mostly flavonoids and anthocyanins, which are responsible for fruit color and can exert antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti¿inflammatory, anticancer, and cardioprotective effects. However, berries have a short storage life, as a result of their high respiration and softening rate, and susceptibility to mechanical damages and decay. As berries are considered non¿climacteric fruit, they must be harvested at, or near to full maturity, because they will not continue to ripen normally once detached. At this stage, the fruit presents appropriate organoleptic attributes but may become softer and more sensitive to mechanical damage. Thus, it is crucial to be extremely careful during harvest and postharvest handling and to sort, grade, and pack the berries in the field, avoiding excessive manipulation of the fruit. The most extended methods to maintain quality during the postharvest period are prompt precooling and storage at low temperatures. Modified and controlled atmospheres with up to 20-kPa CO2 and 5-10-kPa O2 reduce microbial growth and delay senescence but can affect bioactive compounds with a cultivar¿dependent response observed for these technologies.
Open Access
Effects of modified atmosphere packaging on quality and shelf-life of partially dehydrated red bell pepper
(ISHS, 2015) Horvitz Szoichet, Sandra Susana; Cantalejo Díez, María Jesús; Tecnología de Alimentos; Elikagaien Teknologia; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD
Open Access
An approach for the evaluation of efficiency of onion packinghouse operations
(Asociación Brasileña de Horticultura, 2003) Camelo, Andrés F. Lopes; Horvitz Szoichet, Sandra Susana; Gómez, Perla A.; Tecnología de Alimentos; Elikagaien Teknologia
The onion is a major export crop in Argentina and obtaining consistent quality is a matter of concern to remain competitive internationally. Grading is generally done according to Mercosur standards but quality assurance programs are necessary at the packinghouse level. The objective of this study was to develop a first approach for characterizing sorting and sizing efficiency. During the 1998 season five onion packinghouses located in the Valle Bonaerense del Río Colorado (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) were randomly selected. In all of them, variables measured were: sorting table width, bulb transport and rotation speed as well as number of bulbs/sorter/hour. Before and after sorting, samples of 100 bulbs of each size category were randomly taken and closely inspected and their diameters were measured. Sizing efficiency was determined and a Chi-square test was performed to compare observed frequencies of defects with the expected ones within each category. All the studied packinghouses failed to meet the established limits for slight defects and only one of them was able to comply with the standards for basic requirements when preparing Extra class onions. Even when equipment and operational setup were different among packinghouses, the operational flux (bulbs/sorter/hour) was similar for all of them. Differences in sorting performance can be attributed mainly to the sequence of operations and speed of belt conveyors. Equipment and its calibration affected sizing efficiency, with better results obtained with the diverging roller system. The proposed methodology for characterizing efficiency could be considered as a simple and useful tool for monitoring quality at onion packinghouses.
Open Access
Postharvest quality of a thorny Andean blackberry (Rubus glaucus Benth) cultivar
(ISHS, 2019-11-08) Horvitz Szoichet, Sandra Susana; Chanaguano, Diana; Dugarte, N. Y.; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura
Andean blackberries (Rubus glaucus Benth) are highly perishable due to their susceptibility to water loss, softening, mechanical injuries, and postharvest diseases. They are considered non-climacteric, and thus, sold at an advanced maturity stage when the fruit is more sensitive to mechanical damage and spoilage. Harvesting at the proper maturity stage and temperature control are two critical factors in reducing postharvest losses, maintaining quality and extending shelf-life of fruit and vegetables. In this study, the effects of harvest maturity and storage temperature on physicochemical quality of Andean blackberries were evaluated. Blackberries were harvested at maturity stages 3 (light red) and 5 (dark purple), packed in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) clamshells (200±10 g) and stored under room temperature (18±2°C) and cold storage (8±1°C) until visual symptoms of decay were detected. Weight loss was determined daily. Fruit diameter, length and weight were determined on day 1 and colour (L and °hue), firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), pH titratable acidity (TA) and maturity index (TSS/TA) were evaluated on day 1 and every 3 d during storage. The more immature fruit were classified as small and presented lower pH, TSS and maturity index together with higher TA, luminosity, °hue and firmness than the blackberries harvested at maturity stage 5, both at harvest and during storage. Weight loss gradually increased during the storage period in the fruit of both maturity stages with around 9 and 5% after 10 d under refrigeration and 4 d at room temperature, respectively. Refrigeration was effective in maintaining fruit quality and delaying softening and weight loss, with a shelf-life of 3 d at 18°C and up to 8 d in cold storage. The main limiting factors were microbial growth and softening and weight loss at 18 and 8°C, respectively.