High CO2 atmospheres of 15% to 20% are desirable for enzyme - peeled baby persimmons

Freshly peeled ?baby? persimmons, 3 - 4 cm in diameter and 20 - 25 grams in weight, were prepared by enzymatic peeling of ?Totsutanenashi? cherry persimmon fruit, which is a bud mutation and miniature of the full size ?Hiratanenashi? persimmon. The microbiological and visual quality of enzymatically peeled baby persimmons was evaluated during storage in air or high CO2 atmospheres (10%, 15%, and 20%) at 10?C and 5?C. The flesh of intact baby persimmon fruit showed counts of 2.6 log cfu/g for mesophilic aerobic bacteria and a non - detectable level for coliform groups and fungi. A hot water dipping treatment in the enzymatic peeling process reduced the counts of mesophiles to levels below the lower limit of detection (2.4 log cfu/g). Coliforms and fungi remained undetectable throughout the enzymatic peeling process. During storage in air at 10?C, counts of mesophiles, coliforms, lactic acid bacteria, and fungi of baby persimmons increased to 4 - 5.5 log cfu/g by day 6, while high CO2 atmospheres reduced the microbial growth and diversity of microflora, with the reduction being greater in 15% or 20% CO2. High CO2 atmospheres also inhibited the development of brown discoloration, but all samples developed browning to an unmarketable level by day 6. When stored at 5?C, all microorganism categories of baby persimmons were below the limit of detection throughout the storage, except for the mesophiles and coliforms of samples held in air. There was less diversity of the microflora in all samples stored at 5?C than those at 10?C. High CO2 atmospheres retarded the development of browning in baby persimmons until day 6 of storage at 5?C. These results indicate that high CO2 atmospheres of 15% to 20% are desirable for enzyme - peeled baby persimmons to extend the shelf life when stored at 10?C and 5?C. Original title, complete list of authors, and sources: MICROBIOLOGICAL AND VISUAL QUALITY OF ENZYMATICALLY PEELED BABY PERSIMMONS STORED IN HIGH CO2 CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERESIzumi, H.(*), Murakami, Y., Ishimaru, M. and Ozaki Y.izumi@waka.kindai.ac.jpKinki University, Kinokawa, Japan CA MA 2013, XI International Controlled & Modified Atmosphere Research Conference,Trani (Italy), 3-7 June 2013 The picture is by dghate.com ?