TREATMENT WITH CALCIUM CHLORIDE AT POSTHARVEST DELAYS THE DEGREENING AND LOSS OF FIRMNESS OF PAPAYA/UENF/CALIMAN01

In order to prolong the shelf life and maintain the quality of Papaya/UENF/Caliman01, different concentrations of CaCl2 applied by vacuum infiltration were tested. The fruit were separated into six groups: control (no treatment) and treatments with CaCl2 at 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% CaCl2 (w/v), applied by immersion under vacuum during 3 min at 50kPa tension. Further analysis was then performed with respect to weight loss, fruit firmness, mesocarp firmness, hue angle color, soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid, total sugars, and the SS/TA ratio. The calcium treatment did not affect the weight loss, which generally increased over time. However, the fruit remained green and firm longer when treated with CaCl2 at 6% and 8% (w/v). The use of CaCl2 did not affect chemical fruit characteristics such as soluble solids, titratable acidity, and SS/TA ratio, but did decrease the synthesis of ascorbic acid and the degradation of soluble sugars.