TEMPORAL CHANGES IN INDIVIDUAL PHENOLICS AND SUGARS IN IMPORTED NECTARINES SUBJECTED TO SIMULATED "REAL WORLD" SUPPLY CHAIN CONDITIONS

Most previous research has not considered the effects of the ‘real world supply’ chain on quality attributes of ready-to-eat imported stone fruit. This work tackles this outstanding problem by simulating and assessing the effect of different storage regimes to reflect current practice in the real-world supply chain between Spain and the UK, considering ripening, transit, shelf life and home life. Two mid-season nectarines, ‘Nectaross’ and ‘Honey Royale’, were selected. Individual sugars (sucrose, fructose and glucose) and individual phenolics were identified and quantified, in both skin and flesh tissue, using HPLC equipped with RID and DAD, respectively. The effect of storage practices, cultivar and sampling date on the level and abundance of these individual compounds was studied. A dramatic increase in fructose content was found in skin of those nectarines stored at 2°C for one week. Transit period from Spain to UK negatively affected sucrose and total sugar content in ‘Honey Royal’ mesocarp, whereas it positively affected individual phenolic content. Phenolic concentration, however, significantly decreased after 7 days of cold storage, reaching similar or lower values than at harvest. Higher antioxidant capacity was observed in ‘Nectaross’ nectarines.