Minimally processed, an option to make easy the cactus pear marketing

Poscosecha, postcosecha, post-cosecha, postharvest, higo chumbo, higo de pala, higo tuna, cactus pear, IV gama, m?nimamente procesado, minimally processed, ready to eatCactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., cv Gialla) is a delicious and nourishing fresh fruit having a number of documented positive health effects. One of the reasons because of this fruit is not widely commercialized in international and domestic markets is the presence of residual glochids (thorny hairs) on fruit surface. So, marketing cactus pear as fresh-cut product may significantly improve its consumption, preserving its quality, safety and marketability. In this work green-yellow cactus pears fruits were processed as fresh-cut and stored for 13 days at 4 and 8 ?C, packaged in passive and in active modified atmosphere. Samples stored in air were used as control. The passive modified atmosphere improved the marketability of cactus pears stored at 8 ?C until 6 days. The rapid decrease in O2 and the increase in CO2 concentration in packages stored at 8 ?C caused loss of marketability of fruits stored at high temperature. Samples stored at 4 ?C in passive and active modified atmosphere resulted marketable until 9 days, since each one in air were just below salable limit at 6 days. A very low initial microbial growth was detected, while an increase in mesophilic and? psichrophilic bacteria during storage at both temperatures was showed in air samples. An inhibition in microbial growth due to CO2 accumulation was reported in fruits stored at both temperatures. In conclusion, it was found that it is possible to store fresh cut cactus pear, obtaining a marketability of 9 days at 4?C temperature; while, when the temperature is higher than 4?C, it is not possible to preserve fruit quality for more than 6 days. Original tittle, authors and sources:Modified Atmosphere Affected Marketability of Fresh-cutCactus PearM. Cefola, M. Renna, F. Baruzzi, V. Achille, B. PaceInstitute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy, Via Amendola, 122/O 70126 Bari, ItalyII ISHS International Conference on Quality Management of Fresh Cut Produce: Convenience Food for a Tasteful Life 17-21 July 2011, Turin - Italyhttp://www.freshcut2011.org/downloads/Freshcut2011_Book_of_Abstracts.pdfThe picture belongs to taconessintapas.blogspot.com