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The Effects of Plastic Wrap on the Quality of Gala Apples in Cold Storage

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Paper number  036126,  2003 ASAE Annual Meeting . (doi: 10.13031/2013.15411)
Authors:   Chau Nguyen, Cory Hall
Keywords:   Apples, Plastic wrap, quality, cold storage

Practical shelf life of apples at the grocery stores is from 7 to 8 days. The effectiveness of plastic wrap (shrink wrap), zip lock bag, and Vaseline coating was evaluated as methods to preserve the quality and to extend the shelf life of apples. Results showed that for the first two weeks in a controlled atmosphere (1.6 oC), there were no apparent defect or losses in quality of apples in group B (plastic wrapped in zip lock bag) and C (plastic wrapped in zip lock bag & Vaseline coating). Apples from group A (control-no treatment) had shown a slightly reduction in volume therefore a loss in appearance compared to apples from group B and C. After four weeks, the apples in group A had developed significant bruises and wrinkles and were not marketable. The apples in group B and C still looked acceptable to the consumers. After two months in storage, the apples in group B and C did not have significant loss in appearance and still marketable. However, some mechanical damage which was not detected in the first month now becomes clear. For 46 days in storage, the percentage of weight losses of apples in group A (control), group B (plastic wrap-zip lock bag) and group C (plastic wrapzip lock bag & Vaseline film) were 4.06 percent, 0.93 percent, and 0.88 percent, respectively.

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