Postharvest ozone treatment on raspberries

Highly appreciated by the consumers for their taste, color and health benefits, raspberries have a short shelf life principally caused by the rapid development of fungal diseases impairing commercial quality. A short time from harvest to commercialization allows to mitigate the risks of fruit losses, but cannot fully exclude growing of mold, such as Botrytis cinerea, during the postharvest life of the fruit. Chemically synthetized treatments are today the most effective methods to reduce mold development on berries. However, application of such treatments is more and more restrictive in conventional agriculture and prohibited in organic crops. Alternative methods are therefore needed to prolong storage life of raspberries after harvest. In this study, we evaluated the effect of ozone treatment on the postharvest quality of raspberries. Fruit were stored at 8°C for 7-8 days and daily treated during 3 h with 2 to 3 ppm of gaseous ozone. Development of mold and assessment of fruit quality in terms of color, total soluble solids and acidity were evaluated. Results showed that ozone was effective to slow down microbiological growth without altering key fruit quality attributes. These results bring evidences that ozone is a promising alternative method to limit fruit losses after harvest.