title: Use of UV-C postharvest treatment for extending fresh whole tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, cv. Zinac) shelf-life.
abstract: The effect of UV-C treatments (0.32, 0.97, 2.56, 4.16 and 4.83 kJ.m(-2) at 254 nm) on the physical-chemical properties [colour, texture, total phenolic content (TPC), weight loss (WL)], and mesophylic counts of whole tomato, was evaluated during 15 days at 10 °C. During storage, the Ctr samples acquired faster red colour than all UV-C samples (higher a* and lower °h values). Comparing texture of Ctr and UV-C samples at 15(th) storage day, an increase of 9 and 8 % on firmness of treated samples at low UV-C intensities (0.32 and 0.97 kJ.m(-2), respectively) was observed. At the end of the storage, Ctr samples showed ca. 4 Log10 of mesophylic load, and the samples treated at 0.97 and 4.83 kJ.m(-2) revealed the lowest microbial load (1.9 and 3.2 Log10, respectively). These results indicate that UV-C radiation, at an appropriate dose, combined with low storage temperature (10 °C) are an effective method to preserve the postharvest life of tomato, without adversely affecting quality parameters.
authors.affiliation: CBQF-Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina-Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal ; UEISTSA-Unidade Estratégica de Investigação e Serviços de Tecnologia e Segurança Alimentar, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Estrada Paço do Lumiar, 22, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Joaquina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: UEISTSA-Unidade Estratégica de Investigação e Serviços de Tecnologia e Segurança Alimentar, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Estrada Paço do Lumiar, 22, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alegria
authors.affiliation: UEISTSA-Unidade Estratégica de Investigação e Serviços de Tecnologia e Segurança Alimentar, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Estrada Paço do Lumiar, 22, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: UEISTSA-Unidade Estratégica de Investigação e Serviços de Tecnologia e Segurança Alimentar, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Estrada Paço do Lumiar, 22, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Elsa M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: CBQF-Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina-Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cristina L M
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Silva
keywords: Microbial load; Quality; Storage; Tomato; UV-C radiation