SENSORIAL ANALYSIS OF STRAWBERRY SUBMITTED TO THE TECHNOLOGY OF IONISING RADIATION

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.), of cultivar ‘Camarosa’, was irradiated with doses of 2.0 and 2.5 kGy and stored 12.5°C during two weeks. With seven days of storage 61% of control fruits presented advanced rotting and 29% were entirely rotten; after nine days all were discarded. Irradiated fruits however, still had white basal parts and no symptoms of rotting. Test of acceptability showed no significant differences between doses of 2.0 and 2.5 kGy. After two weeks of storage analysis of the external appearance disclosed 67% of acceptance for fruits that had received dose of 2.5 kGy and 71% for the ones that received 2.0 kGy, whereas internal appearance and aroma had a greater acceptance for fruits that had received dose of 2.5 kGy. Quantitative Descriptive Analysis of the acid, sweet ripe and overripe flavours and firmness and succulence of the pulp showed no significant differences between the two doses of ionising radiation studied.