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Abstract

Studies were conducted during 2006–07 to observe the effect of individually shrink-wrapped apples on storage life and quality under zero energy cool chamber. Fully mature ‘Royal Delicious apples were either shrink-wrapped in 3 heat shrinkable’ films, viz. cryovac (9 μ), polyolefin (13 μ) and low-density polyethylene (25μ) or were not wrapped at all (control) and then stored in zero energy cool chamber for 60 days. Cryovac (9 μ) films exhibited the least physiological loss in weight (6.7%) and decay loss (6.5), and higher juice recovery (64.8%) and total soluble solids (16.1%) over other films or control. Physiological loss in weight and decay increased with the increase in storage period and total soluble solids showed increasing trend up to 30th day of storage. Apples wrapped in cryovac films also had higher sensory acceptability (7.7) over the other films or control (5.5) indicating that Cryovac film was the best for shrink-wrapping of apples, and individually wrapped apples could be very well stored in zero energy cool chamber for 45 days without any adverse effect on quality parameters.