Postharvest Biology and Technology 39 (2006) 163–168

Optimal temperature and modified atmosphere

for keeping quality of fresh-cut pineapples
Antonio Marrero a,∗ , Adel A. Kader b
a Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias, Apartado 60, La Laguna, Tenerife 38200, Spain
b Department of Pomology, University of California, Davis, Davis CA 95616, USA

Received 13 October 2005; accepted 18 October 2005

Abstract

The influences of storage temperature and modified O2 and CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere on the post-cutting life and quality of
fresh-cut pineapple (Ananas comosus) were studied. Temperature was the main factor affecting post-cutting life, which ranged from 4 days
at 10 ◦ C to over 14 days at 2.2 and 0 ◦ C. The end of post-cutting life was signaled by a sharp increase in CO2 production followed by an
increase in ethylene production. The main effect of reduced (8 kPa or lower) O2 levels was better retention of the yellow color of the pulp
pieces, as reflected in higher final chroma values, whereas elevated (10 kPa) CO2 levels led to a reduction in browning (higher L values).
Modified atmosphere packaging allowed conservation of pulp pieces for over 2 weeks at 5 ◦ C or lower without undesirable changes in quality
parameters.
© 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Color; Ethylene; Firmness; Respiration

1. Introduction at 1 ◦ C (O’Hare, 1994). In a preliminary study (Marrero

and Kader, 2001), we found that post-cutting life of pineap-
Pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merrill) is a non- ple pieces ranged from 4 days at 10 ◦ C to over 2 weeks at
climacteric tropical fruit that shows moderate to low rates 0 ◦ C.
of respiration and ethylene production (Dull et al., 1967). The prolonged post-cutting life of fresh-cut pineapple
Fresh-cut pineapple products are already found in supermar- products at such low temperatures is contrary to the suscep-
kets and food service distribution chains, but very few studies tibility of whole fruits to chilling. Chilling injury develops
have been published regarding the optimal conditions for when whole fruits are stored at temperatures below 10 ◦ C for
maintaining quality of these products. O’Connor-Shaw et al. extended periods of time. The symptoms include dull shell
(1994) reported that pineapple cubes stored in polypropylene color when ripe, wilting of crown, water-soaked appearance
containers at 4 ◦ C kept their sensory attributes for 7 days, but of pulp, increased susceptibility to decay and internal brown-
after 11 days showed brown discoloration, and after 14 days ing (Paull and Rohrbach, 1985; Paull, 1997). Some of these
off-odors and softening were apparent. Spoilage is associ- symptoms appear after the chilled fruits have been removed
ated with an increase in respiratory activity due to the growth to non-chilling temperatures, and their incidence can be alle-
of microbial flora (Iversen et al., 1989). The post-cutting viated using controlled or modified atmospheres (Paull and
life of pineapple has been reported to be very dependent Rohrbach, 1985; Chitarra and da Silva, 1999).
on temperature, from a few hours at 20 ◦ C to several weeks The objectives of this study were to determine the optimal
temperature for conservation of fresh-cut pineapple pieces
∗ Corresponding author. Present address: ETSIA, Carretera Geneto 1, Uni-
and to investigate the influence of atmosphere modification
versidad de La Laguna, Tenerife 38200, Spain.
on quality maintenance of the product. The suitability of a
Tel.: +34 922318532; fax: +34 922318562. new pineapple cultivar for minimal processing was also stud-
E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Marrero). ied.

0925-5214/$ – see front matter © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.postharvbio.2005.10.017
164 A. Marrero, A.A. Kader / Postharvest Biology and Technology 39 (2006) 163–168

2. Materials and methods versity of California fruit firmness tester with a 3 mm tip
(Western Industrial Supply Co., San Francisco, CA, USA),
2.1. Plant material total soluble solids with an Abbe refractometer (American
Optical, Buffalo, NY), pH and titratable acidity with a pH-
Unless otherwise stated, experiments were performed meter and automatic titrator (Radiometer, Copenhagen, Den-
using fruit of the Smooth Cayenne selection no. 3620 mark), as well as a subjective visual quality scale (from
(‘SC3620’) cultivar. Fruit were received from Hawaii via air 1 = completely unacceptable to 9 = excellent). Juice leakage
freight and stored at 10 ◦ C until processed. For some experi- from the pulp pieces was assessed by measuring the volume
ments, fruit of ‘Premium Select’, a new commercial cultivar, of juice at the bottom of the containers using a calibrated
were also obtained from Costa Rica and similarly handled. syringe. The detection of off-odors and off-flavors was also
Fruit with a shell color corresponding to stages 2 and 3 recorded.
of the Dole pineapple color chart (between 25 and 50% shell Total ascorbic acid was determined according to the pro-
color change) were peeled, cored and the pulp cut into 1- cedure described by Wright and Kader (1997), based on the
cm-thick wedges (about 8 g each), dipped in a 100 ␮L L−1 method of Zapata and Dufour (1992). Extraction and anal-
sodium hypochlorite solution for 2 min, and blotted dry. For ysis of ␣- and ␤-carotene were performed as described by
some experiments, peel and core tissues were similarly cut Wright and Kader (1997), based on the method of Hart and
into pieces and treated with hypochlorite. In all experiments, Scott (1995) for determination of carotenoids by HPLC.
three replicates of at least 10 pulp pieces each were used per
treatment. 2.5. Statistical analysis

2.2. Storage conditions Results were analyzed using one-way or two-way analy-
sis of variance. Significantly different means were separated
For controlled atmosphere (CA) experiments, 1-L glass using a Tukey’s HSD (honest significant difference) test using
jars, each containing about 300 g of pulp wedges, were con- Systat statistical software.
tinuously flushed with a humidified flow of air or the desired
gas mixture. Flow rates were adjusted so that CO2 concentra-
tion did not exceed 0.2% in the humidified air controls. For 3. Results
modified atmosphere (MA) experiments, 500 mL oriented
polystyrene (OPS) cups, containing 150 g of pulp wedges 3.1. Respiration and ethylene production rates of
of the ‘Premium Select’ cultivar, were thermally sealed with different fruit tissues
Mylar® plastic film. In all cases, the containers (jars or cups)
were placed in temperature controlled rooms for the duration After an initial increase due to wounding, respiration rates
of storage. 1 and 2 days after cutting at 10 ◦ C were almost twice as high
in peel pieces as in pulp and core pieces (Fig. 1). Whole fruit
2.3. Gas analysis showed an intermediate respiration rate between those of peel
and pulp pieces. Five days after cutting all pieces showed a
Gas samples were taken from the outlet tubes of the jars or much elevated CO2 production rate and signs of microbial
from the MA containers using disposable 1 mL syringes. O2 spoilage.
and CO2 concentrations were measured using an infrared gas Ethylene production was always higher in tissue pieces
analyzer (Horiba Instruments Co., Irvine, CA, USA). Ethy- than in whole fruits, especially on day 5 after cutting. A signif-
lene concentrations were similarly determined using a Carle icant increase in ethylene production by pieces was apparent
model 211 gas chromatograph (Carle Instruments Co., Ana- 2 days after cutting, when respiration rates were still at their
heim, CA USA) equipped with an alumina column and a basal levels (Fig. 1).
flame ionization detector. All gas production rates were cal-
culated at 101 kPa and 20 ◦ C. 3.2. Effect of temperature on respiration, ethylene
production and quality parameters of pulp pieces kept
2.4. Quality evaluation under humidified air

Before assessment, pulp pieces were removed from their Temperature had a significant effect both on respiration
refrigerated storage and allowed to warm up at room temper- rate and post-cutting life. The end of post-cutting life was
ature in air for 3–4 h. Annotation was made of any off-odors indicated by a marked increase in respiration followed by
detected upon opening the jars or cups. At least 10 pulp visual signs of microbial spoilage. This stage was reached
pieces were used for each replicate.Quality evaluation of after 4 days at 10 ◦ C, 8 days at 7.5 ◦ C, 12 days at 5 ◦ C and
pulp pieces included determination of color parameters (L, more than 15 days at 2.2 and 0 ◦ C (Fig. 2).
hue angle and chroma) using a Minolta chromameter (Model Wounding induced a permanent increase in ethylene pro-
CR-200, Minolta, Ramsey, NJ, USA), texture using a Uni- duction at 10 ◦ C and a temporary one at 7.5 ◦ C (Fig. 2). At this
 A. Marrero, A.A. Kader / Postharvest Biology and Technology 39 (2006) 163–168 165

Fig. 1. Respiration and ethylene production rates of whole fruits and pieces
of peel, pulp and core tissues of ‘SC3620’ pineapple kept under a continuous
flow of humidified air at 10 ◦ C. Data presented are the averages of six whole
fruits or three jars of pieces. Vertical lines represent the S.D. Fig. 3. Changes during storage in luminosity (L), hue angle and chroma of
‘SC3620’ pineapple pulp pieces kept under a continuous flow of humidi-
fied air at 0, 2.2, 5, 7.5 or 10 ◦ C. Data presented are the averages of three
replicates. Vertical lines represent the S.D.

temperature, as well as at 5 ◦ C, a peak in ethylene production

was apparent after increased respiration rates were detected.
At 0 and 2.2 ◦ C no ethylene production was detected with the
experimental method used.
Over time there was a tendency toward diminishing values
of luminosity (L), chroma and hue angle (Fig. 3), but at the
lower temperatures (0 and 2.2 ◦ C) these changes were not
statistically significant (P > 0.05). No translucency (water-
soaked areas) or browning symptoms that could be associated
with chilling injury were detected at any temperature.
The volume of juice that leaked from the pieces increased
linearly with time, but temperature had no detectable effect
on it (Fig. 4). There were no differences in total soluble solids,
acidity or texture of the pieces among the different tempera-
tures (data not shown).

3.3. Effects of atmosphere modification

Reducing the oxygen concentration led to diminished res-

piration rates, but did not delay the onset of fermentation as
revealed by a significant increase in CO2 production (Fig. 5).
Fig. 2. Respiration and ethylene production rates of ‘SC3620’ pineapple
Increased (10%) CO2 levels combined with low (8% or
pulp pieces kept under a continuous flow of humidified air at 0, 2.2, 5, 7.5 lower) O2 concentrations led to higher final values of lumi-
or 10 ◦ C. Data presented are the averages of three replicates. Vertical lines nosity (L) and acidity of pulp wedges, whereas reduced O2 ,
represent the S.D. with or without increased CO2 , improved the retention of
166 A. Marrero, A.A. Kader / Postharvest Biology and Technology 39 (2006) 163–168

Fig. 4. Volume of juice leaked per kilogram of ‘SC3620’ pineapple pulp

pieces kept under a continuous flow of humidified air at 0, 2.2, 5, 7.5 or
10 ◦ C. Data presented are the averages of three replicates. Vertical lines
represent the S.D.

color, as measured by the chroma values, compared to wedges

kept under humidified air for 15 days at 5 ◦ C (Fig. 6). There
were no significant changes in soluble solids, pH or hue angle
values, nor in the volume of juice leaked from the pieces (data
not shown).

3.4. Comparison of the suitability of the ‘SC3620’ and

‘Premium Select’ cultivars for minimal processing

The cultivar ‘Premium Select’ had a significantly higher

soluble solids content as well as higher acidity and pH
than ‘SC3620’ (Table 1). The contents of ␤-carotene and
total ascorbic acid of this cultivar were about two and
three times higher, respectively, than those of ‘SC3620’.
Pulp color of ‘Premium Select’ is a more intense, brighter
yellow than ‘SC3620’, as it is reflected in a significantly
higher value of chroma and a lower hue angle. Respira-
tion and ethylene production rates of pulp pieces at 10 ◦ C
under humidified air were significantly higher for ‘Premium
Select’.
When pulp pieces of the two cultivars were stored at 5 ◦ C
under humidified air for 2 weeks, those of the ‘Premium

Fig. 6. Acidity (as percentage of citric acid), luminosity (L) and chroma
of ‘SC3620’ pineapple pulp pieces that had been kept for 15 days under a
continuous flow of humidified air or 2, 5 and 8 kPa O2 (balance N2 ) with
or without 10 kPa CO2 . Data presented are the averages of three replicates.
Vertical lines represent the S.D.

Select’ retained their luminosity (L) better than ‘SC3620’,

so the final difference in color among the two cultivars was
even more prominent than at the beginning (Fig. 7). Neither
cultivar showed a significant change in soluble solids, pH,
acidity or firmness during storage. In terms of the volume of
Fig. 5. Respiration rates of ‘SC3620’ pineapple pulp pieces kept under a
juice leaked, after 15 days of storage ‘Premium Select’ pieces
continuous flow of humidified air or 2, 5 and 8 kPa O2 (balance N2 ) at 5 ◦ C.
Data presented are the averages of three replicates. Vertical lines represent leaked abut one third the volume of that from ‘SC3620”s
the S.D. (Fig. 8).
 A. Marrero, A.A. Kader / Postharvest Biology and Technology 39 (2006) 163–168 167

Table 1
Initial quality and physiological parameters of pulp pieces of ‘SC3620’ and
‘Premium Select’ pineapple cultivars
Cultivar Statistical
significance
SC3620 Premium
select
TSS (%) 11.5 14.7 *

Acidity (mM H+ ) 154 123 *

pH 3.35 3.41 *

Total ascorbic acid (mg kg−1 ) 260 789 ***

␤-carotene (␮g kg−1 ) 350 670 ***

Flesh color
L value 75 74 NS
Hue angle 102 98 ** Fig. 9. Changes in O2 and CO2 concentrations inside MA containers of
Chroma 24 40 *** ‘Premium Select’ pineapple pulp pieces stored for 14 days at 0 or 5 ◦ C. Data
Respiration ratea (nmol 63.2 88.0 NS presented are the averages of three replicates. Vertical lines represent the
CO2 kg−1 s−1 ) S.D.
Ethylene productiona 1.69 3.63 **

(pmol kg−1 s−1 ) 3.5. Modified atmosphere packaging of ‘Premium

NS: not significant. Select’ cultivar
a Respiration and ethylene production rates were determined, 24 h after

cutting, in pieces kept at 10 ◦ C under a continuous flow of humidified air.

* P < 0.05. The use of modified atmosphere packaging for pulp pieces
** P < 0.01. of ‘Premium Select’ allowed 14 days storage at 0 or 5 ◦ C with-
*** P < 0.001 out undesirable changes. At 5 ◦ C O2 levels dropped below 1%
and CO2 levels reached 15% after 9 days in storage (Fig. 9).
At 0 ◦ C, it took 12 days to reach the equilibrium levels of
1.5% O2 and 11% CO2 . In spite of these very low levels
of O2 , when the cups kept at 5 ◦ C were opened after a 14-
day storage period, only a slight off-odor was detected but
it quickly dissipated and no off-flavors were apparent when
the pieces were consumed. Packages kept at 0 ◦ C showed no
undesirable aroma. Otherwise, the pieces stored at both tem-
peratures for 14 days showed no signs of deterioration while
maintaining acceptable levels of soluble solids, acidity, pH
and firmness (data not shown).

Fig. 7. Change in chroma of ‘SC3620’ and ‘Premium Select’ pineapple pulp

pieces kept for 14 days under a continuous flow of humidified air at 5 ◦ C. 4. Discussion and conclusions
Data presented are the averages of three replicates. Vertical lines represent
the S.D. The main factor studied affecting the quality of fresh-
cut pineapple was temperature. The post-cutting life of pulp
pieces varied from 4 days at 10 ◦ C to over 2 weeks at 0 ◦ C.
This extended life at temperatures well below the chilling
injury limit for whole fruits had been previously reported
(O’Connor-Shaw et al., 1994; O’Hare, 1994). At all tem-
peratures, the end of commercial life was characterized by
a sharp rise in respiration preceding an increase in ethylene
production (Fig. 1). Continuation of storage beyond this point
led to the appearance of off-flavors and odors and microbial
spoilage.
No signs of chilling injury were detected at any point in the
pulp pieces, even for those kept at 0 ◦ C for 2 weeks. This could
be due to the short duration between removal from refriger-
ated storage and quality evaluation (about 3 h), since some of
Fig. 8. Volume of juice leaked from ‘SC3620’ and ‘Premium Select’ pineap-
ple pulp pieces kept under a continuous flow of humidified air at 5 ◦ C for the symptoms do not develop until several days after trans-
14 days. Data presented are the averages of three replicates. Vertical lines fer to non-chilling temperatures (Paull and Rohrbach, 1985).
represent the S.D. This is not likely to be a commercial problem since, due to
168 A. Marrero, A.A. Kader / Postharvest Biology and Technology 39 (2006) 163–168

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