Individual Packaging of Apples for Shelf Life Extension

Red Delicious apples after 2 wk and 4 months of cold storage and after 4 months of CA storage were individually packaged in two heat-shrinkable copolymers. Packaged and control apples were stored at 3°C and 90% RH, 21°C and 30°C and 50% RH, and at 30°C and 50% and 70% RH and the effect of packaging on modification of the microatmosphere inside the fruit and on various chemical and physiological changes were monitored with time. Temperature was the dominant storage factor. At 3°C, packaged and control apples had good eating quality and did not show significant differences (P > 0.05) after 3 months of storage. At 21°C, packaged apples reached a minimum acceptable condition at week 6 of storage which represented a shelf life extension of 3-4 wk over nonpackaged controls. At 30°C, internal quality of packaged apples deteriorated faster than controls. The respiration rate of packaged apples was lower than that of controls.