Effect of pretreatment and packaging on postharvest quality and shelf life of minimally processed jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.) bulbs

The effect of pre-treatment and different packaging to enhance the postharvest shelf-life of minimally processed jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.) bulbs under refrigerated storage was investigated. The packages studied include low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) of 100 gauge, cling film, vacuum packaging, stand on pouches and shrink film. Jackfruit bulbs after separation from fruit were imposed a pre-treatment with CaCl₂ (1%) along with combination of ascorbic acid (0.25%) and packed in different packages. The physico-chemical and sensory attributes revealed that, pre-treatment and packaging was found to be most effective in maintaining ascorbic acid content and minimizing deteriorative changes in sensory attributes and minimum moisture loss. Based on sensory evaluation it was inferred that pretreated and vacuum packing of bulbs resulted in maximum shelf life (33 days) whereas, lowest shelf life was observed in bulbs packed with shrink film (17.67 days).