Effect of Pretreatment and Storage Room Air Pressure on Quality Attributes Changes of Paprika (Capsicum annuum L.)

Abstract

Paprika is a perishable commodity either physically, mechanically, or microbiologically which greatly affects product quality during storage. A combination of pretreatments and low air pressure storage (hypobaric) can greatly reduce metabolic rate and possibly maintain better product quality during storage. The purpose of this study was to analyze the combined effects of pretreatments and hypobaric storage on the quality attributes of paprika consisting of skin color, soluble solids content, and acidity during storage. The pretreatments used were UV-C exposure at 3.0 kJ/m2, ozone gas exposure at 4.99 ppm, and control or without pretreatment before storage. While the hypobaric pressures used were 26 kPa (O2 concentration 5%), 64 kPa (O2 concentration 13%), and 101 kPa (O2 concentration 21%). Paprika quality was measured daily for 15 days of storage. The results showed that storage time and the interaction of storage time and hypobaric pressure were found to have a significant effect on the chroma, hue angle, color difference, solid soluble content, and acidity. Hypobaric pressure was known to be more influential than pretreatment before storage. In general, storage in a hypobaric condition resulted in better quality attributes of the samples than control.