Effect of Different Prepackaging Treatments on the Physical/Chemical Quality of Margariteño Tomatoes During Postharvest Storage at Room Temperature

The effect of different prepackaging treatments on the physical/chemical quality of Margariteño tomatoes during postharvest storage at room temperature was studied. One hundred sixty green‐ripe tomatoes showing no signs of deterioration were divided into four groups of 40, to each of which one of the following prepackaging treatments was applied: (1) immersion in hot water (60C) for 30 s; (2) washing in chlorinated water (150 mg/L sodium hypochlorite [NaOCl] solution) for 5 min at 2C, pH 7.5; (3) covering of the peduncle area with commercial paraffin wax; and (4) untreated controls, placed in 0.5 mm polyethylene terephthalate containers and stored at room temperature. The results obtained confirmed that all the pretreatments applied delayed the onset of the physical/chemical changes characteristic of ripening and the appearance of signs of deterioration. Waxing was found to be the most effective treatment for extending the postharvest shelf life of commercial samples from 11 days to 19 days. Practical Applications The study evaluated the effect of three treatments applied prior to commercial packaging (immersion in hot water, washing in chlorinated water and waxing) on the physical/chemical quality of Margariteño tomatoes kept at room temperature, in view of identifying low‐cost technological alternatives for extending their shelf life without impairing quality attributes, in developing countries where refrigerated storage of horticultural products is not always feasible. The results suggested that waxing was the most effective treatment for extending postharvest shelf life from 11 days to 19 days at 30C and 90% relative humidity, satisfying in a constantly increasing consumer demand for high quality produce in those countries.