Effect of Pretreatments and Storage Conditions on Shelf life Extension of Sapota (Achras zapota) Fruit and on Quality of Osmo-Dehydrated Slices

Abstract

A B S T R A C T The aim of the present study pertains to the extension of shelf life of fresh sapota pretreated with varying concentrations of calcium chloride at low temperature (LT) storage and thereafter to appraise stored sapota for the development of osmo-dehydrated slices using hypertonic sugar syrup. In the present study, an attempt was made to prolong the shelf life of Sapota fruits by maintain the initial fruit quality attributes under the influence of surface coatings with fruit hardening chemical agent and low temperature (LT) storage condition and to find out its suitability for processed product development. Optimally matured (13.30Brix) Sapota (var.Cricket ball) fruits pretreated with solutions of calcium chloride at various levels (3.0, 4.0 and 4.5%) and were stored at LT (12±1°C, 90-95% RH) condition. Results indicated that optimally matured, LT (12±1°C, 90-95% RH) stored sapota fruits, pretreated with Calcium chloride treatments (T 2 -4 % Calcium chloride and T 3 -4.5% Calcium chloride) were most effective surface hardening chemical agents. Only these treatments were effective with better retention of the fruit quality attributes such as, fruit texture, acidity, ascorbic acid, total soluble solids, total sugar and reducing sugars, without fruit spoilage, with effective shelf life of 32 days as compared 24 days in untreated control sapota fruits stored at same storage condition. Both the Initial and final dehydrated sapota slices prepared from these treatments(T 2 -4 % Calcium chloride and T 3 -4.5% Calcium chloride) were found to be excellent in terms of all the product quality parameters evaluated with the shelf stability of 4 months at RT (29±2°C, 60-75%RH) condition. Moisture sorption studies of these dehydrated sapota slices revealed that flexible packaging materials such as 75 µm LDPE or 50µm cast PP or 25µm HDPE can give the required protection. The osmo-dehydrated sapota slices developed in this study represents an innovative and natural processed products from sapota fruits pretreated with T 2 -4 % Calcium chloride and T 3 -4.5% Calcium chloride after effective storage life of 32 days at LT(12±1°C, 90-95% RH), which can be incorporated into different food products due to its high nutritional and sensory quality attributes.