Abstract
Fresh-cut watermelon is increasingly popular among consumers but challenges remain in keeping its eating quality. Processing removes the protective skin layer that usually provides a buffer for internal fruit tissues against environmental stresses and maintains elevated CO2 and lowered O2 gas levels. Low temperatures are used to slow microbial growth and prolong shelf-life of cut fruit by reducing oxidative, enzymatic and metabolic reactions that lead to accelerated senescence.However, little information is available on the interactive effects of the initial whole fruit temperature with subsequent fresh-cut product storage temperature on the consequences for shelf-life of fresh-cut watermelons. Whole watermelons were stored for 21 h at 4, 21 or 30C, before being sanitised, cut into cubes, packaged and stored at 4 or 7C until analysed. Interaction between the factors of storage temperature before and after cutting led to juice drip pH and soluble solid content changes. Lower whole-fruit temperature and lower storage temperature of fresh-cuts significantly reduced O2 consumption and CO2 production rates. Headspace ethylene levels were also reduced by lower fresh-cut watermelon storage temperatures. Preliminary trials show fruit aroma levels at day 5 scored higher when whole watermelons were stored at 21C than either 4 or 30C. In a second experiment, watermelon cubes were processed together with honeydew, rockmelon, pineapple and apple and then sealed individually or as a fruit-mix and stored at 4C until analysed. Ethylene levels as high as 95 ppm were measured in the headspace of fruit-mix samples, with increased water soaking appearance of watermelon cubes. Our results demonstrate the need to consider the storage temperature of both whole and fresh-cut watermelons to extend shelf-life by controlling physiological aspects such as respiration. There is also potential for selecting fruits in fresh-cut fruit-mixes that minimise ethylene production to lower the impacts on fresh-cut watermelon shelf-life.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Precut and postcut storage temperatures interacted to change juice drip pH and soluble solids.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- storage temperature before and after cuttinge0
- Outcome
- juice drip pH and soluble solid content changese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Interaction between the factors of storage temperature before and after cutting led to juice drip pH and soluble solid content changes.”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower whole-fruit and cut-fruit temperatures reduced oxygen consumption.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Lower whole-fruit temperature and lower storage temperature of fresh-cutse0
- Outcome
- O2 consumptione0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lower whole-fruit temperature and lower storage temperature of fresh-cuts significantly reduced O2 consumption and CO2 production rates.”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower whole-fruit and cut-fruit temperatures reduced carbon dioxide production.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Lower whole-fruit temperature and lower storage temperature of fresh-cutse0
- Outcome
- CO2 production ratese0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lower whole-fruit temperature and lower storage temperature of fresh-cuts significantly reduced O2 consumption and CO2 production rates.”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower cut-fruit storage temperatures reduced headspace ethylene.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- lower fresh-cut watermelon storage temperaturese0
- Outcome
- Headspace ethylene levelse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Headspace ethylene levels were also reduced by lower fresh-cut watermelon storage temperatures.”
Claim · model-written summary
Aroma scored higher at day 5 after whole-fruit storage at 21C than at 4 or 30C.
- Taxon
- watermelonsCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- stored at 21Ce0
- Outcome
- fruit aroma levels at day 5e0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- 4 or 30Ce0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Preliminary trials show fruit aroma levels at day 5 scored higher when whole watermelons were stored at 21C than either 4 or 30C.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mixed fruit packages had headspace ethylene as high as 95 ppm.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- Ethylene levelse0
- Value
- 95 ppme0
- Qualifier
- fruit-mix samplese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Ethylene levels as high as 95 ppm were measured in the headspace of fruit-mix samples”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Watermelon cubes in fruit mixes showed increased water soaking.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- water soaking appearance of watermelon cubese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- with increased water soaking appearance of watermelon cubes.e0
Not reportedTreatment
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“with increased water soaking appearance of watermelon cubes.”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend considering temperatures before and after cutting to extend shelf life through respiration control.
- Taxon
- watermelonsCitrullus lanatuse0
- Outcome
- consider the storage temperature of both whole and fresh-cut watermelons to extend shelf-lifee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Our results demonstrate the need to consider the storage temperature of both whole and fresh-cut watermelons to extend shelf-life by controlling physiological aspects such as respiration.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest choosing fruit mix ingredients that minimize ethylene production to protect watermelon shelf life.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Outcome
- selecting fruits in fresh-cut fruit-mixes that minimise ethylene production to lower the impacts on fresh-cut watermelon shelf-lifee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There is also potential for selecting fruits in fresh-cut fruit-mixes that minimise ethylene production to lower the impacts on fresh-cut watermelon shelf-life.”
The same questions in other papers
storage · pest · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
storage · quality: phytochemicals · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Results agree
2 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.