2003, Review-New Advances in Extending the Shelf-life of Fresh-cut Fruits

New advances inextending the shelf-

life of fresh-cutfruits: a review

Robert C. Soliva-Fortuny andOlga Martın-Belloso*

Department of Food Technology, UTPV-CeRTA,University of Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191,25198 Lleida, Spain (tel.: +34-973-702593; fax: +34-

973-702596; e-mail: [email protected])

Minimally processed products are one of the major growingsegments in food retail establishments. However, fresh-cutfruits are still under study because of the difficulties in pre-serving their fresh-like quality during prolonged periods.This paper intends to review the most significant contribu-tions regarding preservation of fresh-cut fruits without asignificant modification of its sensorial properties and pro-vides an overview about the last published advances. Itcovers aspects concerning conditions suggested by authorsin each one of the processing steps such as washing, sani-tation, cutting, dipping treatments and/or preservationunder modified atmospheres, as well as those works study-ing the influence of these operations on the shelf life andquality extension of fresh-cut fruit products without mod-ification of their sensorial properties.# 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IntroductionThe importance of minimally processed commodities

in the retail groceries of most developed countries hasbeen rising continuously during the last few years

(Wiley, 1997). Once traditional processing technologieshave been able to provide microbiologically safe foodproducts with acceptable quality characteristics, thenext step forward is to design mild but reliable newtreatments in order to achieve fresh-like quality pro-ducts with a high nutritional value. The growingdemand for slightly processed products with the sameguarantees of innocuousness than those treated by tra-ditional methods of preservation has urged researchersto focus most of their efforts on studying new ways ofextending the shelf life of fresh-cut products.Fresh-cut produce graduated to retail during the

1990s, especially for lettuce, cabbage, carrots and otheranalogous vegetables (Brody, 2002). The high microbialloads of these products after harvest can be sub-stantially reduced through a cleaning in flowing chlori-nated water and a distribution under ensured controlledrefrigeration (Ahvenainen, 1996). Therefore, a goodnumber of convenient ready-to-use greens were laun-ched to the market in the past decade.Nowadays, the use of this technology to achieve

similar results in fruit products is one of the most chal-lenging targets for processors. However, there is anumber of issues that still need to be overcome beforefresh-cut fruit commodities can be sparked off to anoutstanding position in the segment of lightly-treatedrefrigerated foods.The physiology of minimally processed products is

essentially that of wounded tissues. The intensity of thewound response is affected by a great number of factors.Species and variety, O2 and CO2 concentrations, watervapour pressure, and the presence of inhibitors standout as the most significant (Brecht, 1995). Wounding offruit tissues induces a number of physiological disordersthat need to be minimised to get fresh-like quality pro-ducts. In fresh-cut fruits, the greatest hurdle to thecommercial marketing is the limited shelf life, which isdue to excessive tissue softening and cut surface brown-ing. A better knowledge about these detrimental pro-cesses is required, but research on microbiological,nutritional and sensory aspects also needs to be takeninto consideration to improve the preservation of fresh-cut fruits. In this review, special attention is dedicated tothose processing steps that are being introduced in thelast years to minimise the sensorial quality of fresh-likecut fruits and their influence on the fruit physiology. Asecond part is and up-to-date of the advances published

0924-2244/03/$ - see front matter # 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.doi:10.1016/S0924-2244(03)00054-2

Trends in Food Science & Technology 14 (2003) 341–353

Review

* Corresponding author.

in this field to improve the quality and to extend thecommercial shelf life of different fresh-cut fruits.

Impact of processing operations on fresh-cut fruittissuesWashing and sanitizing operationsSanitation of whole fruits is conducted generally with

an initial rinse in tap water to eliminate pesticide resi-dues, plant debris and other possible contamination,followed by a dip in chlorinated water to reduce effec-tively the microbial loads on the fruit surface. Chlorineis normally used for the disinfection of the fruit surfaceby adding sodium hypoclorite (NaOCl) to the washwater. Dips in water from 50 to 200 ppm of added freechlorine are commonly used in literature for pomefruits, either before processing or during pre- and post-cutting operations (Bett et al., 2001; Dong, Wrolstad, &Sugar, 2000; Gorny, Cifuentes, Hess-Pierce, & Kader,2000; Lanciotti, Corbo, Gardini, Sinigaglia, & Guer-zoni, 1999; Soliva-Fortuny, Oms-Oliu, & Martın-Bel-loso, 2002). In melon and watermelon, sanitation of thewhole fruit is usually carried out with dips ranging from50 to 1000 ppm NaOCl (Ayhan & Chism, 1998; Bai,Saftner, Watada, & Lee, 2001; Larson & Johnson, 1999;Portela & Cantwell, 2001; Qi, Wu, & Watada, 1999). Itis noteworthy that chlorine only delays microbial spoi-lage and does not exhibit any beneficial effects in bio-chemical and physiological disorders of fresh produce(Bolin, Stafford, King, & Huxsoll, 1977). Therefore,when chlorine is used, the fruit surface should subse-quently be rinsed to eliminate residual chlorine and keepthe sensorial properties of the untreated fruit (Ahvenai-nen, 1996). The safety of using chlorine has been ques-tioned and, consequently, alternative ways of sanitisingfresh-cut fruits are needed (Hurst, 1995).The feasibility of hydrogen peroxide treatments,

which appear to be promising for fresh-cut produce asan alternative to chlorine, was studied by Sapers andSimmons (1998). The treatment was recommended forfresh-cut melon and analogous fruits, given that itextended the shelf life in 4–5 days in comparison withthe chlorine treatments. Residual H2O2 in treated fruitsand vegetables might be eliminated passively by theaction of endogenous catalase, given sufficient time forreaction, or actively by rinsing immediately after treat-ment to avoid reactions between H2O2 and food con-stituents that might affect product quality or safety. Inapple and pear wedges, they screened catalase activitythrough gas evolution from treated surfaces. Little or nogas evolution was observed, indicating low catalase activ-ity and the possibility of a H2O2 residue problem, whichmay make the treatment unfit for fresh-cut pome fruits.Some authors have suggested the use of organic

acids such as peroxyacetic or octanoic to sanitizefresh-cut vegetable surfaces (Hilgren & Salverda,2000). Peroxyacetic acid is a powerful oxidizing agent.

The antimicrobial activity of organic acids dependsboth on their low pH and on their structure (Cherry,1999).The use of irradiation to sanitise fruit cut surfaces

should also be investigated, since it has shown goodresults in delaying ripening of whole fruits (Kader,1986a). Gunes, Hotchkiss, and Watkins (2001) andGunes, Watkins, and Hotchkiss (2000) reported anincrease in respiration rates as well as an inhibition ofethylene production in irradiated fresh-cut apple slices.However, undesirable changes in texture induced byirradiation are still a limiting factor for its use in fresh-cut produce. Ozone or ultraviolet light treatments havebeen proposed as alternatives for fresh fruits, and theirapplication in fresh-cut produce should be considered(Hampson & Fiori, 1994; Hurst, 1995; Larson & John-son, 1999).

Mechanical operationsOperations including peeling, coring, cutting and/or

slicing are critical to delimit the shelf life of fresh-cutfruit commodities. Wounding stresses result in meta-bolic activation, becoming apparent with increasedrespiration rate and, in some cases, ethylene production(Varoquaux & Wiley, 1997). Rosen and Kader (1989)reported a lack of wounding response in sliced pears.This was attributed to the post-climateric stage of ripe-ness of the raw materials, which could imply a satura-tion of the enzyme system responsible for ethylenebiosynthesis. The state of maturity of the processed fruithas been shown to greatly influence the damage inflictedby mechanical operations on the cut fruit tissues. Theexisting studies on this matter show that the moreadvanced the ripeness stage, the more susceptible thefruit is to wounding during processing (Gorny et al.,2000; Gorny, Hess-Pierce, & Kader, 1998). In apples,though, Soliva-Fortuny, Oms-Oliu et al. (2002) reportedthat ethylene production during the first week of storageunder passive packaging conditions in apple slices pro-cessed in a partially-ripe state doubled that of ripeapples. The optimal stage of processing to minimizecutting damage also varies greatly depending on thespecies, cultivar and multiple crop, harvest, and post-harvest conditions (Solomos, 1997). On the other hand,a few studies have been published about the influence ofcutting conditions on the quality of fresh-cut fruit pro-ducts. Portela and Cantwell (2001) observed slightchanges in respiration and ethylene production rates offresh-cut melon, that were translated into higher ethanolproduction, off-odour scores and electrolyte leakage forblunt cutting blades. Moreover, tissue response to pro-cessing and, in particular, turgor-pressure incidence onthe textural response of minimally processed melon wasassessed by Rojas, Castro, Alzamora, and Gerschenson(2001), who reported an estimated value of 0.29 MPa.The cutting direction appears to play a significant role in

342 R. C. Soliva-Fortuny, O. Martın-Belloso / Trends in Food Science & Technology 14 (2003) 341–353

the wounding response of many fruits. In bananas, Abe,Tanase, and Chachin (1998) studied the influence ofcutting modes on the physiological changes throughoutstorage, thus finding that 1 cm-thick transverse sectionbanana slices produced less ethylene and showed thelowest respiration rates.A recent preliminary study by Jiang and Joyce (2002)

demonstrated the beneficial effects of 1-Methylcyclo-propene (1-MCP) treatments, either applied as a pre-treatment on whole fruits or after cutting, in thewounding response of fresh-cut apples. For ethylene tohave a defect, it must first be bound on superficial cellreceptors. 1-MCP can block this ethylene bindingbecause of its chemical structure, similar to that ofethylene, and therefore has been shown to be veryeffective in preventing or seriously interfering withethylene induced fruit ripening and its effects on fruitquality in intact climacteric fruits. So far, it has beenused mainly in apples, showing substantial retention offirmness and dramatic reduction of superficial scald but,nonetheless, a lack of uniformity of the treatment acrosscultivars. The results reported by Jiang and Joyce (2002)for fresh-cut apples are promising, indicating that 1ml.l�1 1-MCP treatments, especially when applied beforecoring and slicing, markedly reduced ethylene produc-tion throughout 10 days storage.Especial attention must be paid in some fruits such as

apples or pears during cutting operations. Hence, thecore and adjacent tissues should be completely removedbecause susceptibility to browning is much higher thanin other parts of the fruit. Another interesting con-sideration concerns the peeling of fruits. Agar, Massan-tini, Hess-Pierce, and Kader (1999) observed that peelingand slicing of kiwifruit caused an increase of more than30% in mass loss after 3 days storage in comparison withunpeeled slices, but the effects of wounding on the ethy-lene and CO2 production rates were unexpectedly higherwhen the peel was not removed.

Dipping treatmentsSurface treatments are necessary to delay physiologi-

cal decay in fruit tissues, thus stabilising the fruit surfaceand preventing degradative processes that curb thequality of the product. Firstly, dipping treatments arebeneficial because the enzymes and substrates releasedfrom injured cells during cutting operations are rinsedfrom the product surface.Dipping times range from 1 to 5 min in most pub-

lished works. Luna-Guzman, Cantwell, and Barrett(1999), who studied the influence of CaCl2 dips on thephysiological responses in fresh-cut melon, concludedthat the dipping time had no or little effect on therespiration rate and ethylene production. On the otherhand, the treatment temperature was shown to have amore determinant influence on the effectiveness of thetreatments. High dipping temperatures of 60�C

improved the beneficial action of the dips in comparisonto 40 and 20�C, probably because diffusion processesare enhanced at high temperature. However, in fruitswhere the action of polyphenol oxidase is the maincause of browning the cold chain must be maintainedand dips are usually undertaken at temperatures nothigher than 20�C. The effects of these treatments on thefruit surface are also subject to the solution pH. LowpH values are usually recommended because of theiranti-microbial properties (Wiley, 1997). However, insome cases it may be necessary to adjust pH at highervalues, near neutrality, for example when using cysteine,which otherwise would confer undesirable pinkish-redcoloured compounds to the fruit tissue (Gorny, Hess-Pierce, Cifuentes, & Kader, 2002; Sapers & Miller,1998).Drying of wet surfaces must be carried out carefully

to avoid unnecessary damage to the fruit tissue. Mostauthors suggest water removal by draining. The excesswater must be completely dried to avoid problems withmicrobial spoilage of the fruit surface. Therefore, othermethods of drying the cut surfaces have been proposed,like spinning with care or gentle drying with cheesecloth(Bett et al., 2001; Gorny et al., 2002; Rosen & Kader,1989). However, these operations, if not conductedproperly, might cause mechanical bruises with a biggerimpact on shelf life than that due to microbiologicalaspects.

Modified atmosphere packagingThe beneficial effects of modified atmosphere packa-

ging (MAP) for fresh-cut produce have been extensivelyreviewed by Ahvenainen (1996) and Solomos (1997).Depleted O2 and/or enriched CO2 levels reduce respira-tion and decrease ethylene production, inhibit or delayenzymatic reactions, alleviate physiological disordersand preserve the product from quality losses (Day,1994). However, exposure to O2 or CO2 levels outsidethe limits of tolerance may lead to anaerobic respirationwith the production of undesirable metabolites andother physiological disorders (Soliva-Fortuny, Oms-Oliu et al., 2002; Zagory & Kader, 1988). Too low O2

atmospheres may trigger anaerobic metabolism in fresh-cut fruits and result in an increase in fermentation(Solomos, 1997). Besides, it has been postulated thatCO2 dissolution enhances acidity in the cell medium andmay be responsible for physiological disorders. HighCO2 concentrations also inhibit several enzymes of theKrebs’ cycle including succinate dehydrogenase, whichwould either trigger anaerobic respiration or result inaccumulation of succinic acid, which is potentiallytoxic to the fruit tissue (Varoquaux, 1991). Never-theless, the levels of O2 and CO2 required to avoid tis-sue damage or quality loss are unknown for mostfruits. Agar et al. (1999) studied the influence of low O2

atmospheres on the respiratory metabolism of fresh-cut

R. C. Soliva-Fortuny, O. Martın-Belloso / Trends in Food Science & Technology 14 (2003) 341–353 343

kiwifruit slices. A rise in acetaldehyde and ethanol con-tents was reported during 12 d storage, especially in sli-ces kept under 0.5 kPa O2. Gil, Gorny, and Kader(1998) and Soliva-Fortuny, Oms-Oliu, et al. (2002)compared the storage under 0 and 21 kPa O2 in Fujiand Golden Delicious cultivars, respectively. A completeinhibition of ethylene release was detected in both stu-dies, since O2 is required for ethylene production. LowO2 atmosphere also reduced dramatically ethylene pro-duction in honeydew melon cubes (Qi et al., 1999). Theinhibition of ethylene generation under anaerobic orlow O2 conditions has been observed by many authors,suggesting that oxygen participates in the conversion of1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) toethylene (Yang, 1981). On the other hand, the sensibilityto low O2 concentrations was assessed in fresh-cut pearsby Rosen and Kader (1989), reporting undetectablechanges in respiration and ethylene production of slicespreserved under O2 concentrations ranging from 0.5 to2 kPa. Works by Gorny et al. (2002) in pear and Gornyet al. (1999) in peach and nectarine also provide infor-mation about the effect of MAP atmospheres in slicedproducts. Low O2 atmospheres acted synergisticallywith elevated CO2 levels to reduce ethylene productionand respiration rates but could not completely stopsenescence and tissue breakdown.The efficacy of MAP to control the physiological

decay of fresh-cut fruits has not been studied extensivelyand warrants investigation. The effect of MAP atmo-spheres on the shelf life of these commodities has beenreported more often in literature. A review about theaspects that affect the quality of these productsthroughout storage is presented below with especialattention to the last and more significant publishedworks in this field.

Advances in extending microbiological, physico-chemical and sensory shelf life in fresh-cut fruitsEnsuring microbiological stabilityThe composition and physicochemical properties of

the raw fruit condition the microbiological shelf life ofthe fresh-cut commodities, but processing is crucialbecause it determines the sources of spoilage duringstorage. In this regard, the native microflora of fresh-cutfruits, which is composed mainly of fungi, is usuallysubstituted by bacterial strains. A comprehensive reviewon the influence of handling operations and storageconditions on the microbiology of lightly treated fruitproducts is exposed by Bracket (1997). Minimally pro-cessed products with high pH (>4.6) and aw (> 0.85)are considered to be highly perishable when they are notsubjected to preservative processes that delay undesir-able biological and biochemical changes (Wiley, 1997).Fresh-cut fruits are classified into this group because oftheir high water activity (aw). Most fruits have highamounts of organic acids that are responsible for low

pH values (e.g. pome and kernel fruits). However, otherfruits such as melon, watermelon, papaya or avocadohave high pH values, closer to those of most vegetables.The ability of some pathogenic bacteria such as Salmo-nella and Shigella to grow on sliced apple, papaya,watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew, especially atambient temperature, was proved by Fernandez Escar-tın, Castillo Ayala, and Saldana Lozano (1989),Golden, Rhodehamel, and Kautter (1993) and Lever-entz et al. (2001). Therefore, acidification of the productsurface is recommended to ensure their safety in front ofspoilage by foodborne pathogens.Citric acid has been widely accepted as effective in

reducing superficial pH of cut fruits such as orange (Pao& Petracek, 1997), apple (Rocham Brochado, & Mor-ais, 1998), peach, apricot and kiwifruit (Senesi & Pas-tine, 1996), avocado (Dorantes-Alvarez et al., 1998) andbananas (Moline, Buta, & Newman, 1999). In recentyears there has been considerable pressure by consumersto reduce or eliminate chemically synthesized additivesin foods. Thus, efforts are conducted to find naturalalternatives to the currently used additives to preventbacterial and fungal growth in minimally processedfruits. Hence, naturally occurring compounds withantimicrobial capacity such as phenols, aldehydes, andorganic acids have been tested to prove their effective-ness in fresh-cut fruits. Their main limitation is due tothe strong odours and tastes that may confer to theproduct. Essential oils from coriander, mint, vanillin,parsley and citrus fruit peels, carbonyl compounds, orisothiocyanates obtained from cruciferous vegetableswere shown to have antimicrobial properties (Cherry,1999). However, intense flavours from these naturalcompounds may limit their use. Lanciotti et al. (1999)reported strong inhibitions of mesophilic bacteria,moulds and yeasts, and a considerable prolongation ofthe lag phase of psychrotrophic bacteria in apple slicesstored at 4�C with 0.15 mmol hexanal/100 g in thepackage atmosphere. The anti-microbial effect of hex-anal was linked to its affinity with the microbial mem-branes. Besides, Song, Leepipattanawit, and Beaudry(1996) reported positive effects on the aroma productionof apple slices due to the interconversion of this meta-bolite to other aroma volatile compounds. Treatmentswith 2-Nonanone at 130–300 ml/l of air were also foundto be highly fungistatic, inhibiting completely growth ofPenicillium expansum in apple wedges, but inflictingphysiological damage to the peel of treated apples(Leepipattanawit, Beaudry, & Hernandez, 1997).Knowledge about the influence of MAP packaging on

the microbiological safety of these foods is still lacking.Atmospheres with low O2 levels inhibit the growth ofmost aerobic spoilage microorganisms which usuallywarn consumers of spoilage, while the growth of patho-gens, especially the anaerobic psychrotrophic, non-proteolytic clostridia, may be allowed or even stimulated


(Farber, 1991). However, few works have studied theeffect of MAP conditions on the microbial safety andstability of fresh-cut fruits. Larson and Johnson (1999)reported presence of Clostridium botulinum toxin infresh-cut cantaloupe and honeydew melons after 9 daysstorage at 15�C under a passively modified atmosphere,but botulinal toxin was not detected in samples incu-bated at 7�C. Psychrotrophic pathogens such as Listeriamonocytogenes, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Yersiniaenterocolitica, and mesophiles such as Salmonella spp.,Staphylococus spp., and the microaerophilic Campylo-bacter jejuni need further investigation because of theiremergence in these products represents a highly con-cerning subject. Bai et al. (2001) found that active (4kPa O2+10 kPa CO2) MAP, combined with storage at5�C, reduced slightly the bacterial and yeast and mouldcounts in fresh-cut cantaloupe (Fig. 1). Yeasts andmoulds were less numerous than bacteria, as found onother fresh-cut produce (Nguyen-the & Carlin, 1994).Nithiya, Yuen, Tianxia, and Wadada (2001) showedthat the marketable period of mango cubes could beextended by 1–2 days compared to samples kept in airunder the same conditions suggested by Bai et al. (2001)in melon. A significant decrease of both mesophilicaerobic and yeast and mould counts was observed undercontrolled atmosphere storage. Similar results arereported for fresh-cut watermelon (Cartaxo, Sargent,Huber, & Chia, 1997). The antimicrobial properties ofhigh CO2 concentrations are mostly due to a reductionof pH and interference with the cellular metabolism(Brackett, 1997). However, CO2 concentrations higherthan 5–20 kPa may have detrimental effects on thephysiology of most fresh-cut tissues, developing off-fla-vours and off-tastes when the threshold of phytotoxicityis exceeded (Kader, 1986b).

Preventing browning and surface discolorationEnzymatic browning reactions in fruits are catalysed

by polyphenol oxydases (PPO), that take part in thehydroxylation of monophenols to o-diphenols: mono-phenol monooxygenase, or tyrosinase (EC 1.14.18.1);and oxidation of o-diphenols to o-diquinones: cathe-colase (EC 1.10.3.1) (Webb, 1992) followed by non-enzymatic formation of melanines (Joslin & Pointing,1951). Currently, numerous research efforts pursue thedevelopment of new ways of avoiding browning inminimally processed fruits. The intensity of browning isinfluenced by the amount of active forms of the enzymeand by the phenolic content in the fruit tissue. In mostfruits, the levels of phenolic substances are dependenton numerous factors, such as variety, maturity state, orenvironmental factors (Macheix, Fleuriet, & Billor,1990). In climacteric fruits, the optimal processing statecorresponds to the point of partial ripeness. Fully ripefruits do not respond as well to minimal processingtreatments as slightly underripe fruits (Fig. 2). Thus,Sapers and Miller (1998) reported minimal colour chan-ges for at least 14 days at 4�C in slightly underripe Anjouand Barlett fresh-cut pears preserved with a combinationof anti-browning agents and the use of MAP. Gorny etal. (1998) reported consistent results in peach and nec-tarine, achieving a shelf life of 8 days at 0�C.In some fruits, such as melon, watermelon and citrus

fruits, enzymatic colour changes are primarily affectedby peroxidase (POD) enzymes. POD activity may resultin oxidative actions that involve any hydrogen donorcomponent in foods (Padiglia, Cruciani, Pazzaglia,Medda, & Floris, 1995). Lamikanra and Watson (2000)demonstrated that cantaloupe melon POD activitycould be related to the tissue response to increased oxi-dative stress in the cut fruit.

Fig. 1. Bacterial and yeast and mould counts in fresh-cut cantaloupe melon stored under different packaging conditions. A gas mixture of4 kPa O2+10 kPa CO2 was used to flush the packages internal atmosphere for active packaging samples. *: Perforated film; �: passive

packaging; ~: active packaging (adapted from Bai et al., 2001).


The fruit variety should be taken into account inorder to get high quality products with longer shelf life.Studies on fresh-cut produce have been carried out inboth traditional and new apple cultivars by Kim, Smith,and Lee (1993), and Luo and Barbosa-Canovas (1997),who found that Delicious and Jonagold cultivars hadthe slowest rates of colour deterioration whereas Mon-roe and Braeburn had the fastest rates. In pears, Gornyet al. (2000) and Dong et al. (2000) found Barlett andAnjou cultivars, respectively, those that showed lesscolour changes after processing. Conference (Soliva-Fortuny, Biosca-Biosca, Grigelmo-Miguel, & Martın-Belloso, 2002) and Abate fetel cultivars (Senesi, Galvis,& Fumagalli, 1999) have also shown to get colour stablefresh-cut products. Lopez-Galvez, Luna-Guzman,Trejo, Nie, and Cantwell (1996) studied the suitabilityof different cantaloupe varieties harvested at differentripeness stages to get high quality fresh-cut melon, con-cluding that variety as well as the maturity state con-tribute decisively to the product shelf life.Refrigeration temperatures during storage, dips in

anti-browning solutions and modified atmosphere(MAP) packaging are the most used barriers to preservethe initial colour of fresh-cut fruits. Ascorbic acid (AA)and its derivatives have been used in numerous studies infruits in concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 4%. Theanti-browning effects of AA have been widely demon-strated in several fruit fresh-cut products under a widerange of conditions (Agar et al., 1999; Buta, Moline,Spaulding, &Wang, 1999; Dorantes-Alvarez et al., 1998;Gorny et al., 1999; Rocha et al., 1998; Senesi et al., 1999;Soliva-Fortuny, Biosca-Biosca et al., 2002; Soliva-For-tuny, Grigelmo-Miguel, Odriozola-Serrano, Gorinstein,& Martı-Belloso, 2001). Generally, its inhibitory effect isalso due to the reduction of the o-quinones, generated by

the action of the PPO enzymes, back to the phenolicsubstrates (Hsu, Shieh, Bills, & White, 1988). Pizzocaro,Torregiani, and Gilardi (1993) reported a 90–100%inhibition of PPO in apple cubes by using a mixture of1% AA+0.2% citric acid. In comparison to this study,a recently published work by Soliva-Fortuny et al.(2001) reported exponential depletions of 31–62% at 3months of storage in PPO activity of apple cubes dippedin 1% AA+0.5 CaCl2 solutions (Fig. 3), with an out-standing preservation of colour under appropriate MAPgas concentrations. In melon, Lamikanra and Watson(2001) reported a reduction by over 60% of ascorbatePOD activity, predominant in this fruit, just after pro-cessing. The use of other browning inhibitors such as4-hexylresocinol (4-HR) or cysteine in minimally pro-cessed fruits has been suggested in most of the lastworks appeared in literature. These products alone havebeen found to retard browning but not to avoid dar-kening of the cut edges (Nicoli, Anese, & Severini, 1994;Sapers & Miller, 1998). However, their effectiveness hasbeen proved in combination with AA. In fresh-cutapples, the combination of 0.001 M 4-HR+0.5 M iso-ascorbic acid+0.05 M calcium propionate+0.025 Mhomocysteine maintained apple slices in essentiallyunchanged appearance for 4 weeks at 5�C (Buta et al.,1999). Sapers and Miller (1998) also found that 4-HR incombination with sodium erythorbate had a beneficialeffect on the colour of fresh-cut Anjou pears. Dong etal. (2000) suggested a dip in 0.01% 4-HR+0.5% ascor-bic acid+1.0% calcium lactate solutions to get colourstable pear products during 30 days refrigerated storage.Although the nature of the action of 4-HR is not wellunderstood, it is believed that, because of their struc-tural resemblance to phenolic substrates, they mayinhibit browning reactions by competitive inhibition of

Fig. 2. Ripeness effect on lightness of fresh-cut apple slices during storage. Fruits were dipped in a 1% ascorbic acid and 0.5% calciumchloride solution for 1 min and stored under a nitrogen atmosphere (adapted from Soliva-Fortuny et al., 2002).


PPO (Monsalve-Gonzalez, Barbosa-Canovas, McEvily,& Iyengar, 1995). On the other hand, Gorny et al.(2002) reported minor changes in the surface colour ofBarlett pear slices treated with 2% AA+1% calciumlactate+0.5 cysteine at pH 7. The pH of the treatmentsolution is important given that, at low pH, cysteine isresponsible for the appearance of pinkish-red colouredcompounds (Richard-Forget, Goupy, & Nicolas, 1992).Moline et al. (1999) tested different combinations ofantioxidants in banana slices regarding their ability toprevent browning. They found that combinations ofcitric acid+N-acetylcysteine provided the best protec-tion against browning during a storage period of 7 days.Cysteine was also found to be effective in inhibitingbrowning in minimally processed avocado slices (Dor-antes-Alvarez et al., 1998) from a wide variety of anti-browning compounds used (Table 1). Cysteine has beenreported to have a combined inhibitory effect, thusreducing o-quinones, acting directly on the enzymaticcomplex and forming a colourless cys-quinone adduct(Kahn, 1985; Richard, Goupy, Nicolas, Lacombe, &Pavia, 1991).Recently, some authors have proposed the use of

edible coatings and wraps in combination with anti-browning compounds to improve the colour preserva-tion of fresh-cut fruits (Baldwin, Nisperos-Carriedo, &Baker, 1995; McHuch, & Senesi; 2000; Wong, Camir-and, & Pavlath, 1994). McHugh and Senesi (2000)developed an edible film made of 61% applepuree+23% beeswax+7% pectin+7% glycerol+1%AA+1% citric acid that could prevent browning of applepieces without significant changes in L* or a* valuesduring 12 days storage. However, flavour acceptance of

such commodities is questioned and further investiga-tion is required.Low O2 and elevated CO2 atmospheres can also slow

down the rates of surface browning, although extensivestudies in fresh-cut commodities have not been yet car-ried out. This diminution in the browning phenomena isaccompanied by several physiological effects such as adecrease in the rates of respiration, a delay in the cli-materic onset of the rise in ethylene, and a decrease inthe rate of ripening (Solomos, 1997), which are, in turn,closely related to the senescence of tissues and, subse-quently, to the release of enzymes and substrates parti-cipating in browning reactions. The results achieved inthis field are often contradictory but agree to point outthat MAP alone cannot prevent effectively browning offresh-cut fruits. Gorny et al. (2002) found similar ratesof surface discoloration in pear slices kept in differentlow O2 and/or high CO2 atmospheres. In their study,they reported the harmful effects of high CO2 levels (20kPa) on the tissue physiology, which could be visuallyassessed through the appearance of accelerated brown-ing and necrosis in the flesh tissue. Rosen and Kader(1989) found 0.5% O2 atmospheres effective to reducebrowning of sliced pears, coinciding with substantialfalls in CO2 and ethylene production. Senesi et al. (1999)reported a fairly good preservation of colour para-meters during 15 days storage of fresh-cut pears bypassive packaging. Similar results were attained bySoliva-Fortuny, Oms-Oliu et al. (2002) apples, but alsoa dramatic increase in ethylene production due to tissuestress was observed under those conditions. In contrast,100% N2 packaging atmospheres suppressed ethyleneformation almost completely, leading to an excellent

Fig. 3. Evolution of the PPO activity of fresh-cut apples throughout storage at 4�C. MOP: Medium oxygen permeability (30 cm3/m2 24 h barat 23�C, 0% RH). LOP: Low oxygen permeability (15 cm3/m2 24 h bar at 23�C, 0% RH) (adapted from Soliva-Fortuny et al., 2001).


preservation of colour. Colour deterioration could bemodelled with a first-order fractional conversion kineticwith rates that ranged from 0.026 to 0.060 day�1 forapples and from 0.019 to 0.063 day�1 for pears,depending on the permeability of the packaging materi-als (Soliva-Fortuny et al., 2001; Soliva-Fortuny, Biosca-Biosca et al., 2002). Signs of tissue degradation due toanaerobic conditions were not noticed for more than 5weeks. In peach and nectarine slices, Gorny et al. (1999)found that 0.25 kPa O2+10 or 20 kPa CO2 atmospheresextended the visual shelf life by reducing the ethyleneproduction and respiration rates, but detected theappearance of off-flavours in samples preserved underlow O2 concentrations and high CO2 levels (20 kPa).Palmer-Wright and Kader (1997) reported a low influ-ence of modified atmospheres (2% O2, air+12% CO2

or 2% O2+12% CO2) on preventing colour changes insliced peaches and persimmons after 1 week’s storage.Slight losses in carotenoids were reported, although thelimit of shelf life was reached before they occurred.Qi et al. (1999) could effectively preserve the visual

quality of fresh-cut honeydew cubes for 6 days withMAP atmospheres of 2 kPa O2+10 kPa CO2 at 5�C.Ayhan and Chism (1998) could ensure the stability ofhoneydew pieces for 15 days in samples packaged under5 kPa O2 atmospheres. In their study, the visualappearance was preserved significantly better than inthat of Qi et al. (1999), which suggests that high CO2

contents are even more harmful in these products thanin other fruits. Nithiya et al. (2001) evaluated the effectof storage temperature and controlled atmospheres on

the quality shelf life of fresh-cut mango. An atmosphereof 2 kPa O2+10 kPa CO2 was beneficial in maintainingthe visual quality of the cubes, but it was shown to beless effective than low temperature in preserving itsvisual quality.

Preventing softening and texture modificationsSlicing operations also result in dramatic losses in

firmness of fruit tissues. Pectinolytic and proteolyticenzymes exuding from bruised cells may diffuse intoinner tissues. In this regard, the diffusion rates ofenzymes through the tissue can be unexpectedly high(Varoquaux, Lecendre, & Varoquaux, 1990). However,softening may be also dependent on physical and che-mical changes. Transformation of protopectin to water-soluble pectin, decrease in cellulose crystallinity, andthinning of cell walls (King & Bolin, 1989), diffusion ofsugar to the intercellular spaces (Bolin & Huxsoll,1989), loss of turgor, and ion movement from the cellwall (Poovaiah, 1986) may also cause softening. Cal-cium and its salts have been used to decrease softeningof a great variety of minimally processed fruits. Infil-trated calcium in fresh apples has been shown by ultra-structural studies to bind the cell wall and middlelamellae, where major influences on firmness are expec-ted (Glenn & Poovaiah, 1990). Calcium ions interactwith pectic polymers to form a cross-linked polymernetwork that increases mechanical strength, thus delay-ing senescence and controlling physiological disorders infruits and vegetables (Poovaiah, 1986). In pome fruits,dips in CaCl2 solutions are widespread and their effects

Table 1. Colour evolution in fresh-cut avocados (% reflectance) treated with different anti-browning agentsa

Antibrowning agent
Storage time (days)
0
1 2 3 4 5
Metabisulfite, sodium salt (0.2%)
56 52.5 42 34 33 33 Mixture l-Cystein (0.2%) Erythorbate, sodium salt (4.5%) EDTA, disodium salt (0.1%) 56 54 43 32.5 29.5 27.5
Pyrophosphate, tetrasodium salt (1.0%)
56 55 37.5 29 28 26 Mixture Erythorbate, sodium salt (2.25%) EDTA, disodium salt (0.05%) 56 52 38 28 23 23
l-Cystein (0.2%)
56 52 33.5 26 25 24.5 4-Hexyl-resorcinol (0.1%) 56 45 32.5 25.5 23 21 Polyvinylpolypirolidone (1.2%) 56 40.5 30.5 24 23 21.5 Zinc chloride (0.4%) 56 43 24.5 20 19 19 Citric acid (5%) 56 36 26 20.5 20 17 Ascorbic acid (1.5%) 56 37 23 19 18 17.5 Erythorbate, sodium salt (1%) 56 38 23.5 17 16.5 15 EDTA, disodium salt (0.5%) 56 37.5 23 16.5 16 15 Erythorbic acid (1%) 56 34 21.5 17 16 15.5 Control 56 23.5 17.5 15.5 14.5 14
a Avocado slices (ca. 200 g) were immersed in 400 ml of the dipping solution for 1 min.


on texture preservation have been demonstrated in a widescope of conditions. Treatments reported in literaturerange from 0.1 to 1% CaCl2 dips (Bett et al., 2001; Rosen& Kader, 1989; Sapers & Miller, 1998; Soliva-Fortuny,Grigelmo-Miguel, Hernando, Lluch, & Martın-Belloso,2002; Soliva-Fortuny, Lluch, Quiles, Grigelmo-Miguel,& Martın-Belloso, 2003). Some works have been devel-oped in apple slices to improve the efficiency of the dip-ping treatments (Monsalve-Gonzalez, Barbosa-Canovas, & Cavalieri, 1993; Ponting, Jackson, & Watt,1972), reporting slight or null influence of the solutionacidity on the preservation of texture. Optimal con-centration of calcium chloride treatments in minimallyprocessed melon was found at 2.5% (Luna-Guzman etal., 1999). In kiwifruit slices, Agar et al. (1999) could notobserve significant differences between 1 and 2% CaCl2treatments. On the other hand, the use of alternativecalcium salts such as propionate, lactate or tartrate wasproposed by Buta et al. (1999), who investigated thepossible advantages of substituting the commonly usedCaCl2. No improvement was reported, except for cal-cium propionate, which extended the shelf life of fresh-cut apples due to a reduction of physiological breakdownand a decrease in microbial growth.Recent studies have assessed the rate of softening of

fresh-cut fruits as affected by different modified atmo-spheres. Gorny et al. (2002) reported that the presenceof O2 did not affect the softening of pear slices duringstorage at 10�C. However, results by Soliva-Fortuny,Grigelmo-Miguel et al. (2002) and Soliva-Fortuny,Lluch et al., (2003) showed that firmness of fresh-cutGolden Delicious apples and Conference pears is affec-ted by the atmosphere packaging composition. Firm-ness and texture related parameters decreasedexponentially with kinetic constants that ranged from6.3.10�3 to 8.9.10�3 day�1 for apples and from 9.7.10�3

to 4.0.10�2 day�1 for pears, depending on the avail-ability of oxygen in the package headspace atmosphere.Microstructural observations revealed the formation ofa great quantity of exudates on the cell surfaces afterprolonged storage, which could be related to firmnessdepletions. Evidence of droplets formation on the cellssurface in apples, and partial or complete flooding ofintercellular spaces in pears, was minimized in fruit tis-sues packaged under hypoxic conditions (Fig. 4).

Preserving sensory characteristics and nutritionalcomponentsSensory studies have been extensively carried out to

evaluate the influence of processing and storage condi-tions on the quality perception of fresh-cut fruits byeither trained or untrained judges. Studies in apple(Rocha et al., 1998), pear (Gorny et al., 2000, 2002;Senesi et al., 1999), peach (Brackett, 1997; Gorny et al.,1998), melon (Ayhan & Chism, 1998; Bai et al., 2001; Qiet al., 1999), avocado (Dorantes-Alvarez et al., 1998)

and mango (Nithiya et al., 2001) investigate the shelf lifeof these fresh-cut products from the point of view ofsensory quality evaluation. Most of these works eval-uated the visual quality of the product, which in mostcases had fallen below the threshold of marketability

Fig. 4. Cryo-SEM micrographs of cells and intercellular spaces infresh-cut apple tissue: (A) Observations at day 0: big intercellularspace in the conjunction of many cells; (B) observations after 45days storage at 4�C under 0 kPa O2 (balance N2) initial atmo-sphere: detail of smooth external surface of cell walls with somesmall exudate droplets; (C). observations after 45 days storage at4�C under a 2.5 kPa O2+7 kPa CO2 (balance N2) initial atmo-sphere: exudate droplets on the external surface of the cell walls

(adapted from Soliva-Fortuny et al., 2003).


after the first week of storage, especially when MAP oraddition of chemicals were used separately. In contrast,little sensory research has been published on the flavourquality of fresh-cut fruits, or other fresh-cut produce, incontrast with extensive research that has been conductedon whole fruit flavour. Bett et al. (2001) monitored fla-vour changes and volatile compounds in fresh-cut Galaapples by descriptive and chromatographic methods.The flavour quality of 14-day stored wedges was foundto be acceptable and, in spite of the flavour changes, nooverwhelming off-flavours developed during storage,but most of the analyzed aromatic compoundsdecreased suggesting that this parameter could be cri-tical in the acceptance of fresh-cut apples.Most studies on fresh-cut fruits have been concerned

with market quality as determined objectively and sub-jectively by colour, sensory and texture measurements,as well as by microbiological determinations (Ahvenai-nen, 1996). Little is published about vitamin, sugar,amino acid and other components of minimally pro-cessed fruits. Vitamin C content depleted in most fruits.Agar et al. (1999) studied the ascorbic acid in kiwifruitslices as influenced by various atmosphere conditions.Vitamin C content of slices stored under 0.5, 2 and 4kPa O2 decreased by 7, 12 and 18%, respectively, after12-d storage. High CO2 environments were found tostimulate oxidation of AA and/or inhibit the reductionof DHA to AA (Fig. 5).The preservation of the fruit phenolic content has a

great impact on the quality of fresh-cut fruits because ofthe participation of phenols in enzymatic browningreactions, but also on the nutritional value of fresh-cutproducts. Gil et al. (1998) did not find significant dif-ferences in the total phenolic content of apple slices heldin air or in 0 kPa O2. In contrast, the use of ascorbicacid as a reducing agent prevented a decrease of the

phenolic content. In fresh-cut cantaloupe melon, Lami-kanra and Watson (2000) could not observe significantdecays throughout storage provided that all phenoliccompounds determined were non-flavonoid and PPOactivity was relatively low in the fruit. Carotenoidcontent in sliced persimmons and peaches was pre-served with minor changes during 8 days of storage at5�C under 2 kPa O2+12 kPa CO2 (Palmer-Wright &Kader, 1997).Compounds that define the fruit sensory perception

need a profound study in order to understand organo-leptic changes in minimally processed commodities.Sugar contents are not so much influenced by atmo-sphere conditions. Studies in fresh-cut pears (Senesi etal., 1999), apples (Bett et al., 2001; Buta et al., 1999;Rocha et al., 1998), kiwifruit (Agar et al., 1999) andmelon (Lamikanra, Chen, Banks, & Hunter, 2000)found that sugar levels do not vary substantially underrefrigerated storage. On the other hand, the amount oforganic acids has been quantified in some fresh-cutfruits. Initial levels of 3.5 mg of malic acid/g declineddramatically during storage of fresh-cut apples at both 5and 10�C (Buta et al., 1999). Apples treated withoutsulfhydryl compounds retained most of their malic acidat 5�C. In kiwifruit, citric, malic and quinic acids werebetter preserved in slices stored in 2 kPa O2+5 kPa CO2

and 4 kPa O2+5 kPa CO2, which was attributed to thelow respiration rates observed under those conditions(Agar et al., 1999). Lamikanra et al. (2000) showed thatreduction in organic acids content is highly influencedby the storage temperature in fresh-cut cantaloupe.Citric and malic acids were dominant, occuring at con-centrations of 3.22 and 6.22 mmol/100 g of fresh fruit,and depleted up to values of 2.7 and 0.47 mmol/100 g offruit after 5-day storage at 20�C, respectively. Howeverno significant changes were observed in samples stored

Fig. 5. Changes in ascobic acid (vitamin C) contents of fresh-cut kiwifruit slices as related to O2 and CO2 concentrations at 0�C (adaptedfrom Agar et al., 1999).


under refrigeration. These authors also described atemperature-dependent decrease in the aminoacid con-tent of fresh-cut melon. Only slight changes could beobserved after prolonged storage at 4�C, whereas totalamino acid content of the fruit was reduced by about40% after 2-day storage at 20�C.

Future research needsResearch on fresh-cut fruits is still needed to obtain

microbiologically safe products, keep their nutritionalvalue and their original sensory quality. The shelf livesattained for these products have to be enhanced toallow distribution and marketing. More investigationabout the processes that rule the physiology and, there-fore, limit the shelf life of cut fruits should be under-taken. Studies on the influence of MAP packaging onthe shelf life of minimally processed fruits need to becarried out. In addition, modelling of the packageatmosphere composition, respiration rates of these pro-ducts and internal atmospheres in the fruit tissuethroughout storage are of capital importance to designappropriate packages for these commodities. As it hasbeen shown in this review, research on chemical treat-ments has been extensively conducted with successfulresults. One of the main future goals in this field is thesearch for new compounds from natural sources thatappear to be healthier for consumers and permit a bet-ter preservation of the fruit fresh-like qualities. Forth-coming works about quality of fresh-cut produce shouldalso take into consideration the prevention of nutri-tional losses as influenced by processing and storageconditions.Furthermore, a strong impulse in the development of

the technology required for processing and distributionof fresh-cut fruits will solve some of the limitations thatfruit processors find nowadays to get stable fresh-cutfruit products. On the other hand, the quest for new waysof packaging such as new plastic materials or ediblecoatings warrants encouraging results in this field.

AcknowledgementsOur research in fresh-cut fruits was supported by the

Departament d’Universitats, Recerca i Societat de laInformacio of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Spain),that also awarded author Soliva-Fortuny with a pre-doctoral grant.

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Any Suggestions?Articles published in TIFS are usually specially invited by the Editors, with assistance from our InternationalAdvisory Editorial Board. However, we welcome ideas from readers for articles on exciting new and developingareas of food research. A brief synopsis of the proposal should first be sent to the Editors, who can providedetailed guidelines on manuscript preparation.

Mini-reviews focus on promising areas of food research that are advancing rapidly, or are in need of re-review in the light of recent advances or changing priorities within the food industry. Thus they are shorter thanconventional reviews, focusing on the latest developments and discussing likely future applications and researchneeds.

Features are similar in style to mini-reviews, highlighting specific topics of broad appeal to the food sciencecommunity.

The Viewpoint section provides a forum to express personal options, observations or hypotheses, to present newperspectives, and to help advance understanding of controversial issues by provoking debate and comment.

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Documents

2003, Review-New Advances in Extending the Shelf-life of Fresh-cut Fruits