Quality Changes of Fresh-cut Packaged Fuji Apples during Storage

Fuji apples were sliced and dipped in distilled water, 1% (w/v) ascorbic acid and 1% (w/v) oxalic acid. After minimal processing, the slices were packaged with three films which have different gas transmission rate and stored in cold room. The visual quality, gas composition, pH, texture, soluble solids content and titratable acidity were determined. The most deteriorative effects on quality were produced by browning of flesh. Ascorbic acid inhibited the development of browning and extended storage life from 7 days of control to 14 days at . Minimally processed Fuji apple treated with ascorbic acid and P640 film showed exhausting of oxygen in the packaging after 14 days. It showed only a slight reduction of pH from 3.73 to 3.72. The visual quality, gas composition, pH, texture, soluble solids content, titratable acidity were slightly changed, indicating that higher quality was maintained during storage. Ascorbic acid inhibited the development of browning and extended storage life of fresh-cut Fuji apple.