Film wrapping delays aging of “Minneola” tangelos under shelf-life conditions

Fruits of ‘Minneola’ tangelo (Citrus paradisi ‘Duncan’Citrus reticulata ‘Dancy’) were dipped in water, 500 ppm
sodium hypochlorite or 500 ppm imazalil and then left either unwrapped or wrapped with three plastic films of
different permeabilities. The fruit were stored at 20°C and 60% relative humidity (RH) and sampled at 10-day
intervals for 1 month. Changes in characteristics of the juice (pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, vitamin C,
acetaldehyde, ethanol, methanol and ethyl acetate), weight loss, ageing, decay, firmness, respiration, ethylene
evolution, and in-package gas composition, generally were delayed by the less permeable film. Decay caused by
Penicillium digitatum was inhibited by imazalil, but not by sodium hypochlorite. An untrained test panel rated the
fruits wrapped with the less permeable film the most acceptable, and the combination of this film with imazalil
resulted in best overall fruit quality.