Influence of hot water treatments on postharvest physicochemical characteristics of Hayward and Jintao kiwifruit slices

The effect of precutting hot water treatments on the quality of minimally processed kiwifruits was studies. Whole fruits were subjected to hot water dipping (HWD) at 45 degrees C for 25 or 75 min, minimally processed, packed and stored at 0 degrees C for 8 days. Weight loss, respiration rate, gas composition, texture, color, titratable acidity, pH, soluble solids content, sensory analysis, vitamin C, total polyphenols, antioxidant capacity, and microbial analysis were investigated. An overall beneficial effect of HWD 45 degrees C/75 min on the postharvest quality was observed. The fruits subjected to this treatment showed lower respiration rate, maintained the initial color and presented a better visual quality compared to the control. Moreover, both in Hayward and Jintao, heat treatments inhibited the microbial growth during storage. The study selected HWD 45 degrees C/75 min as the optimal combination to retain postharvest quality of fresh-cut kiwifruit for the cold storage period and throughout the supply chain. Practical applicationsExtending the shelf-life and improving the food safety without chemical treatments will have a positive impact on industry and consumers. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of precut hot water treatment on quality characteristics, microbial growth, and visual aspects of fresh-cut kiwifruit slices. In general, hot water treatments significantly controlled weight losses, color parameters, and microbiological quality of minimally processed kiwifruits. The results indicated that postharvest hot water dipping of whole kiwifruits could be used as an emergent, clean, and environmental friendly process to improve the shelf-life.