1-MCP treatment was effective in delaying ripening of cherry tomatoes, but for fruits harvested at their earlier stage, overall sensory quality and acceptance was lower than for the freshly harvested ones

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of 1-MCP treatment on sensory quality and some physical traits of 'Dasher F1' and 'Pareso F1' ?cherry? tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. cerasiforme). In the 2 - year experiment the plants were grown in a greenhouse in rockwool and fruits harvested in autumn. Fruits were harvested at pink and lightred ripening stages (3rd and 5th stage, USDA standard chart), stored for 3 weeks at 12 ?C, and then moved to 20 ?C to obtain marketable maturity. 1-MCP (1 ppm) was applied after harvest for 12 hours at 18 ?C. Sensory evaluation was performed using an expert panel (10 persons) with Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), in two independent sessions, using 13 sensory descriptors concerning smell, taste, flavour and texture of the fruits. Also a semi - consumer acceptance test was carried out. As the control, freshly harvested fruits, at optimal consumer's maturity, were used. Physical traits determined before and after storage were: colour in CIE L*, a*, b* and fruit firmness. The results showed that 1-MCP treatment significantly reduced decreasing of fruit softening and colour change during storage, even after additional ripening. The treated fruits harvested at the light - red stage were of better sensory quality than the untreated ones, similar to freshly harvested, but in the case of the pink fruits their quality was rated lower. The score for overall quality for stored light - red fruits ranged from 7.35 points for stored untreated fruits to 7.70 for 1-MCP treated, compared to 7.73 (the highest score) for freshly harvested ones. It can be concluded that 1-MCP treatment was effective in delaying ripening of the fruits, but for fruits harvested at their earlier stage, overall sensory quality and acceptance was lower than for the freshly harvested ones, mainly due to greater sour taste and lower sweet and specific 'tomato' taste intensity. SourcesTHE INFLUENCE OF 1-MCP TREATMENT ON SENSORY AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF STORED 'CHERRY' TOMATOESGajewski, M.(*), Mazur, K.Z., Ryl, K., Kalota, K., Pakosiewicz, J., Klejman, P. and Radzanowska, J.marek_gajewski@sggw.plWarsaw University of Life Sciences ? SGGW, PolandCA MA 2013, XI International Controlled & Modified Atmosphere Research Conference, Trani ?(Italy), 3-7 June 2013, http://www.cama2013.org/ Picture by fruteriamadrid.es