Influence of temperature and polyethilene wrapping in the storage of feijoa fruits (Feijoa sellowiana Berg.)

Abstract

To verify the effect of three temperatures (0°C, 2°C and room temp.) and of polyethilene wrapping in the storage of feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana Berg.), fruits of native plants from Vacaria (RS), were harvested around middle March 1993 and kept in cold rooms. The cold storage periods were 21 and 28 days, with 2 additional days of simulated marketing. At ambient temperature, fruit durability was near one week, their evaluation was not possible. After 21 days, the fruits maintained at 2°C and packed in polyethilene showed lower weight loss and TSS (Total Soluble Solids) than the fruits of (he other treatments; the TTA (Total Titratable Acidity) was lower for the 2°C temperature, with or without polyethilene; the TSS/TTA ratio was not influenced by the treatments. After 28 days, the weight loss, TSS, TTA and TSS/TTA ratio were similar to those of 21 days. Preliminary results permit to conclude that fruits can be stored up to 28 days at 0 and 2°C temperatures for consumption, without TSS and TTA changes.