Effects of different packaging materials on the quality attributes of round’tomato fruits (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of packaging materials and storage conditions on the quality attributes of the round ‘Nema-Netta’ tomatoes. The treatments consisted of a stamped paper (SP) tray + polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wrap, an expandable polystyrene sheet (EPS) tray + polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wrap, a stamped paper (SP) tray + flow wrap, an expandable polystyrene sheet (EPS) tray + flow wrap, a polypropylene (PP) bag, and unpackaged tomatoes (the control), as well as two storage conditions (cold and ambient), by using a randomized block design with three replications. Colour, firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), and total phenolic content (TPC) were evaluated at seven-day intervals over 28 days. The cold storage conditions were recorded in the range of 8-12°C, 78-80% RH, and the ambient storage conditions were in the range of 22-26°C, 68-72% RH. The packaging treatments and storage conditions had a significant (P<0.05) influence on the lightness, hue angle, firmness, TSS, and TPC. Amongst the packaging treatments, the EPS Tray combined with the PVC wrap maintained the tomatoes’ quality better than the other packages. Higher loss of quality was observed in sample packages under ambient storage conditions, with unpackaged (control) tomatoes being the most influenced. The relative differences between using the EPS tray + PVC wrap (non-degradable) and the SP tray + flow wrap (biodegradable) were less pronounced in the other evaluated quality attributes. A combination of packaging and cold storage creates an ideal environment for maintaining the quality of tomatoes.