CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE AND EDIBLE COATING EFFECTS ON STORAGE LIFE AND QUALITY OF TOMATOES

Tomatoes at pink stage maturities were coated with Semperfresh^TM edible fruit coating which is composed of sucrose esters of fatty acids, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and mono-diglycerides of fatty acids. One group of coated and uncoated tomatoes were stored at 23 × 2C under air atmosphere, another group was stored at 12C under air atmosphere and third group was stored at 12C, 93–95% RH in a controlled atmosphere (CA) containing 3% CO₂, 3% O₂ and 94% N₂. Samples of tomatoes were analyzed for firmness, weight loss, titratable acidity, pH, soluble solids, sugars, ascorbic acid and lycopene to examine changes in quality during storage. Semperfresh^TM edible fruit coating was found to be significantly effective at both storage temperatures (23 × 2C and 12C) in air to delay changes in firmness, titratable acidity, pH, soluble solids, sugars, ascorbic acid and lycopene. Semperfresh^TM fruit coating reduced fruit weight loss as compared to fruit without coating but the difference between coated and uncoated tomatoes was not significant. Shelf-life of pink tomatoes was increased 3 days at 23 × 2C and 6 days at 12C in air by coating. CA storage delayed compositional changes in tomatoes significantly as compared to air storage of coated and uncoated tomatoes. CA storage also had a significant potential for reducing weight loss and microbial spoilage. Tomatoes were stored 40 days in CA. Coated and uncoated tomatoes exhibited the same results in CA.