Postharvest ultraviolet light evaluation for the shelf life of red raspberries

In the postharvesting of fresh fruits, ultraviolet (UV) light is an interesting technology to maintain quality during storage time and different studies report the induction of bioactive compound production (polyphenols, anthocyanin) in treated fruits. Among berries, limited studies have been reported on raspberries. The aim of this work was to improve knowledge about the effect of ultraviolet light treatments on red raspberry fruits to limit the decay in freshness and safety. ‘Grandeur^®’ red raspberries were harvested at two different ripening stages (red and pink). Fruits under UV light for 60 min were compared to control samples (untreated). Qualitative analyses (weight loss, skin color, texture profile analysis, soluble solid content, titratable acidity and polyphenol content) and microbial evaluation were performed at harvest time (0 days) after 24, 48 and 72 h at a cold temperature and after 3 days of shelf life at room temperature. UV light treatment was useful to control the microbial decay of the berries, but negatively affected some qualitative traits such as berry firmness.