Effect of different treatments with calcium salts on sensory quality of fresh-cut apple

Tissue softening and oxidative browning at cut surface are serious problems with fresh-cut fruit products that can limit shelf life. Different techniques have been developed to extend the shelf life of minimally processed fruits, in particular refrigeration combined with antibrowning agents and calcium salts to reduce loss of firmness. The aim of the present study was to compare a commercial product, Natureseal (AgriCoat, Great Shefford, United Kingdom, control), with 2 different Ca salts (Calcium propionate 1%, w/v, and CaCl2 1%, w/v) combined with citric acid (1%, w/v) on 'Golden Delicious' apple diced, stored 5 days at 1 degrees C. The results obtained showed that Natureseal was highly effective in maintaining colour and firmness of fresh-cut apples, but also application of CaCl2 + citric acid (CA) could be a good method to preserve the same product for 5 days. On the contrary, application of Ca propionate + CA resulted in acceptable values of firmness, but high browning, sometimes associated with off-flavours. The treatment with CaCl2 + CA could be used in small fresh-cut industries as a cheap alternative to commercial products