Appearance and color of the peel of early dwarf cashew clones, for consumption in natura, stored under different layers of PVC

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of modified atmosphere on postharvest life, measured as external appearance and peel color, of early dwarf cashew apple, clones CCP 76, BRS 189, END 183, and END 189, wrapped in various layers of PVC film and stored under refrigeration (5ºC). Cashew apples were harvested from Beberibe Country, Ceará State, Brazil. Cashew apples, three at a time, were lay in foamy trays, which were individually wrapped in two, four, six, or eight layers of PVC film, simulating different film permeability. Analysis consisted of appearance, assessed with the aid of a hedonic scale ranging from 0 to 4, and peel color, defined as luminosity, chromaticity, and Hue angle. Apples of the clone CCP 76 was kept for 16 days, regardless of film permeability. On the other hand, film permeability affected postharvest life of apples of clones BRS 189 and clone END 183, kept for 16 to 19 days and 17 to 20 days, in that order. Apples of clone END 189 was kept only for 14 days and showed no variation on postharvest life caused by film permeability. It was observed that cashew apples yellowed throughout storage, as shown by a rise on Hue angle.