Fresh-cut storage of fruit and fresh-cuts affects the behaviour of minimally processed Big Bang nectarines (Prunus persica L. Batsch) during shelf life

Highlights

• Big Bang fruit harvested at 50 N, could be stored at 1 ± 0.5 °C for no more than 10 d.

• Fresh-cut derived from fruit stored for 10 d had always the same fresh weight loss.

• The longer the fruit were stored before processing, the lower the L* of fresh-cut.

Abstract

Nectarine can be minimally processed to successfully produce ready-to-eat fresh-cuts fruit. The aim of this work was to study the combined effect of the ripening stage of cold stored fruit before processing and the length of the storage period of fresh-cut slices after minimal processing, on the behaviour of minimally processed “Big Bang” nectarines during shelf life. ‘Big Bang’nectarine slices obtained from fruit stored at 1 ± 0.5 °C (RH = 90%) for 1 d, 10 d and 15 d were stored for 0, 3, 5, 7, 12 d. at 5 °C. At the end of each storage period, visual quality, color (L*, a* and b*), phenols and carothenoids content, TSS, TA were measured together with in-package CO₂ and O₂. Despite the more advanced ripening stage and the increase of polyphenol oxidase activity and ethylene production, nectarine fruit stored for 10 days were successfully processed to get fresh-cuts still marketable until 7 d after being cutting. Indeed, no difference occurred between fruit stored for 1 d before cutting and those stored for 10 d, in terms of firmness, weight loss and marketability of fresh-cut slices. The carotenoid content went descending dramatically in all samples of ‘Big Bang’ slices while in-package CO₂ partial pressures were highest at 5, 7, 12 d of storage in fresh-cut to more from fruit stored for 1 d.

Introduction

Peach and nectarine fruit, either fresh or stored at low temperature (Gupta, Jawandha, & Gill, 2011; Kader, Heintz & Chordas, 1982) and in the absence of physiological disorders (Lurie & Crisosto, 2005), can be successfully minimally processed to produce ready-to-eat fresh-cuts. The shelf life of fresh-cut peaches or nectarines may last from 3 to 9 days (Del Carmen Fuentes-Perez, Nogales-Delgado, Ayuso, & Bohoyo-Gil, 2014). Nevertheless, not all cultivars of peach and nectarines are suitable for fresh-cut processing (Bordonaba, Cantin, Larrigaudière, López, López, & Echeverria, 2014; Del Carmen Fuentes-Perez et al., 2014; González‐Buesa, Arias, Salvador, Oria, & Ferrer‐Mairal, 2011; Gorny, Hess-Pierce, & Kader, 1999; Sortino, Ingrassia, Allegra, & Inglese, 2015) because of their different ripening behaviour, particularly in terms of flesh softening (stony hard, melting and no melting genotypes) and appearance. Tree management during fruit growth (Alcobendas, Mirás-Avalos, Alarcón, Pedrero, & Nicolás, 2012) and fruit ripening stage (Sortino, Gallotta, Farina, & Allegra, 2017; Valero, Martı́, Valverde, Guillen, & Serrano, 2003) at harvest play a major role on fruit post-harvest behavior and fresh-cut quality. The production of ethylene, the degradation rate of firmness (Brovelli, Brecht, Sherman, Sims, & Harrison, 1999; Tonutti, Bonghi, & Ramina 1996), the susceptibility to polyphenol oxidases (PPO) (Lee, Kagan, Jaworski, & Brown, 1990) and pulp browning rate (Costa, Antunes, Rombaldi, & Gularte, 2011; Allegra, Barone, Inglese, Todaro, & Sortino, 2015) are the major factors accounting for the suitability of peach fruit to be minimally processed. Fruit ripening stage at cutting time, and storage temperature could, indeed, significantly affect fruit respiration rate, browning rates and overall quality loss during shelf-life of peach and nectarine fresh-cut slices (Cefola et al., 2014, Gorny et al., 1998). Peach fruit texture also plays a role, since a rapid loss of firmness that is typical of melting fruit, accounts for a rapid loss of quality and consumers’ acceptance (Bordonaba et al., 2014). The possibility offered by nectarines, unlike peaches, of being processed maintaining the skin reduces the wounding stress (Li-Qin et al., 2009), and prolong their shelf life. Storage conditions applied to fresh-cuts should be designed to reduce the initial effects of wounding and wounding-induced responses (Toivonen & Brummell, 2008).

The processing protocols always include: selection of fruit with a firmness ranging between 35 and 50 N (Gorny et al., 1999); pre-storage at low temperature for 12–24 h; cleaning; drying; cutting into slices; chemical or physical treatments; packaging; and storage at 4–5 °C. However, to the best of our knowledge, no previous study has examined the relationships between storage timing of whole fruit and fresh-cut quality loss and consumer acceptance.

‘Big Bang’ is an early ripening (18 d before Big Top^®), clingstone, no-melting nectarine with 100% intense redskin and a yellow melting flesh with sub-acid flavour, selected for its economic importance, particularly in Southern Europe (Drogoudi et al., 2016). The objective of this work was to assess the relationship between the ripening stage of cold stored fruit before processing and the length of the storage period of fresh-cut slices after minimal processing.