Mohammad Jouki and Naimeh Khazaei
The present research was conducted to evaluate the effects of MAP and calcium chloride on some quality parameters of strawberry fruits stored at 4°C. Several quality parameters were monitored during the storage period. The samples were analyzed 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days during storage. Fruit weight, sugar content, chromatic parameters L*, a*, b*, fruit firmness, total titratable acidity, pH, sensory evaluation are analyzed. The results evidenced that the immersion of fruit in 0.5% calcium chloride solution (CaCl2) didn’t affect significantly in their physico-chemical characteristics such as: pH, total titratable acidity (ATT). The packaged strawberries retained their weight throughout the experiment as opposed to the samples packaged under air which lost 0.5% of their weight per day because of dehydration. The results indicated that storage in a modified atmosphere (5-10% O2 and 5-10% CO2) can be used to maintain the quality of Kurdistan strawberries for a longer time, than if kept in air packaging. Hence any of the packages except packages under air could prove suitable for inhibiting Botrytis growth for 3 week at 4°C. In relation of post-harvest life, the results indicated that the calcium treatment (0.5%) and MAP increased it from 7 (control) to 21 days.