Factors Affecting the Post-cutting Life and Quality of Minimally Processed Pineapple

Sliced pineapple has been shown to have a post-cutting life that is strongly influenced by temperature, from a few hours at 20oC to more than five weeks at 1oC (O ́Hare, 1994). O ́Connor-Shaw et al. (1994) reported that pineapple cubes, stored in polypropylene containers at 4oC, kept their sensory attributes for 7 days, but after 11 days showed brown discoloration, and after 14 days off-odors and softening were apparent. Spoilage is associated with an increase in respiratory activity, due to the growth of microbial flora (Iversen et al., 1989). Prolonged storage of intact pineapple fruits at temperatures below 12oC leads to the appearance of chilling injury symptoms, a problem that can be alleviated by the use of controlled or modified atmospheres (Paull et al., 1985; Chitarra et al., 1999). The aim of this work was to determine the suitability of “Champaka” pineapple for fresh-cut processing and to study the influence of refrigerated and controlled and modified atmosphere storage on the post-cutting life and quality of the product.