Effect of 1-methylcyclopropene on tomato flavour components, shelf life and decay as influenced by harvest maturity and storage temperature

BACKGROUND: In Florida, tomatoes are harvested green (GR), which includes mature green (MG) and immature green (IG) fruits, and stored at low temperature (13 degrees C), resulting in poor flavour. Flavour improvement might be achieved if fruits were harvested with some colour (to eliminate IG fruits) and/or stored at higher temperature with the ripening inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). RESULTS: 'Florida 47' tomatoes were harvested at GR (MG + IG), breaker (BR), turning (TR) and pink (PK) stages, treated (+) or not (-) with 1-MCP and stored at 13 and/or 18 degrees C. 1-MCP treatment resulted in a gain of up to 6 days of shelf life depending on harvest maturity and storage temperature. Storage at 18 degrees C rather than 13 degrees C resulted in an increase in internal red colour, soluble solids (SS)/titratable acidity (TA) ratio and levels of many volatiles studied. The shelf life of BR (+) MCP fruits stored at 13 degrees C was similar to that of MG fruits. IG fruits exhibited lowest levels of SS, TA and ten volatiles compared with BR fruits. CONCLUSION: Harvesting tomatoes with colour (BR), thereby eliminating IG fruits, and treating with 1-MCP resulted in better quality with adequate shelf life. Published 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.