QUALITY EVALUATION FOR FRESH-CUT PINEAPPLE CUT INTO DIFFERENT SHAPES

Quality evaluation for fresh pineapple cut into different shapes was monitored during storage at 2°C. Samples were evaluated on daily basis for physical changes (colour), chemical composition (pH, total titratable acidity (TTA) and °Brix), gases (O₂, CO₂ and C₂H₄) and sensory attributes. The pineapple fruits were manually peeled and cut into longitudinal and semi-circular shapes. The cut pieces were randomly selected for packing in polypropylene containers (10×12 cm) with lid sealed. The results showed that the different shapes did not significantly affect the physical and chemical changes. The gradual loss of lightness (L* value) from 78.86 to 73.12 was noticeable in the cut pieces, which may be directly attributed to the translucency phenomenon in the fruit flesh towards the end of the 9-day storage period. Fruit °Brix increased from 10 to 13 whereas a decreasing trend in the pH and TTA values occurred in both shapes. The headspace composition of the longitudinal cut had a higher percentage of CO₂ and C₂H₄ as compared to the semi-circular cut. However, no significant difference was observed in O₂ composition of the two cut shapes throughout the 9-day storage period. The longitudinal cut was more preferred by the panelists due to the combination of sweet and sour tastes within one piece.