IMPROVEMENT OF THE POSTHARVEST KEEPING QUALITY AND COLOR DEVELOPMENT OF BELL PEPPER (CV MAOR) BY PACKAGING WITH POLYETHYLENE BAGS AT A REDUCED TEMPERATURE

The keeping quality of red bell pepper (Capsicum annum) is relatively low, since the fruits are sensitive to low temperature (<7-degrees-C), rot development and water loss. The effect of packaging red bell pepper fruits in various kinds of polyethylene bags, having various percentages of perforation (0.064-0.42%), was examined as a means of reducing water loss in fruits stored at the usual storage temperature (7-8-degrees-C) and at 3-degrees-C. In addition, prestorage holding of fruits for two-three days at various temperatures, combined with polyethylene-bag packaging was examined as a means of improving fruit colour development. Several beneficial effects were found: (1) polyethylene-bag packaging reduced water loss by 40-50% in fruits stored for two weeks at 7.5-degrees-C and an additional three days at 17-degrees-C, thereby resulting in maintenance of fruit quality; (2) packaging did not significantly increase rot development in the stored fruits during either storage or shelf-life; (3) polyethylene-bags enabled bell peppers to be stored at a reduced temperature (3-degrees-C) without the appearance of chilling injury symptoms; (4) prestorage holding of peppers packed in perforated bags for two days at 25-degrees-C, resulted in full red colour development at the end of their 12 days storage period, without loss of their firmness and quality.