Control of Fruit Softening during Marine Transport Bound for Southeast Asia in ‘Nakatani-Wase’ Persimmon

Abstract

The combined effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) application on CO₂ exposure for astringency removal and packaging techniques on suppressing fruit softening during marine transport bound for southeast Asia was tested in early-maturing persimmon, ‘Nakatani-Wase’ fruit. In tests while simulating marine transport, 1-MCP application in combination with all packaging techniques tested in this experiment effectively suppressed the softening of fruit. Under conditions simulating the shelf-life after arrival, the combination of 1-MCP application and modified atmosphere (MA) packaging at both individual fruit and carton box levels suppressed fruit softening for 7 days at room temperature and for more than 10 days at 5°C. On the other hand, fruit packaged in normal carton boxes or boxes coated with water-impervious material softened immediately after arrival at room temperature and after 5 days at 5°C. Practical transport tests involving marine transport bound for Singapore confirmed that the combination of 1-MCP application and MA packaging in carton boxes led to the complete absence of softened fruit upon arrival in Singapore and reduced it to just 13.3% 6 days after transfer to room temperature. These results indicate that the combination of 1-MCP application, MA packaging, and a reefer container for temperature control is a practical quality control technique for marine transport of ‘Nakatani-Wase’ fruit bound for southeast Asia.