INFLUENCE OF POSTHARVEST STORAGE ON APPEARANCE CHANGES IN FRESH-CUT CANTALOUPE

The degree of fruit ripeness during postharvest storage considerably affects the biochemical properties of fresh-cut product. Appearance and texture are two important properties affecting the quality of fresh-cut fruit during purchasing activity. In this study, colour and firmness of fresh-cut cantaloupe processed after different postharvest storage durations were observed to evaluate the quality retention of the product. Untreated and 1% calcium chloride treated samples were used to investigate the effectiveness of calcium salt as a firming agent in fresh-cut cantaloupe. Prepared samples were stored at 2°C and 87% relative humidity (RH) for 19 days to evaluate chromaticity, hue angle, and firmness. As expected, the firmness of the treated samples remained unchanged throughout storage. The hue angle of both samples was not affected by the treatment and storage duration while the chromaticity of the treated sample was significantly lower than the control. Different postharvest storage durations also did not cause any quality changes in both samples.