Low Cost Glad Wrap Film Packaging Delays Postharvest Senescence and Maintains Fruit Quality of Green Chilies ^†

Abstract

Green chilies are highly perishable with limited postharvest life which substantially affects its quality and market potential. The present study was part of an ACIAR-funded project aiming at evaluating the effect low cost Glad wrap film packaging (GWFP) on eight commercial green chili cultivars (Kunri-1, Longi, Talhari, Skyline 1 and 3, Super-hot, Advanta and BSS-410) to help improve shelf life and quality during ambient storage at 18±2 °C. Chilies were weighed and filled in polyvinyl trays and wrapped with Glad wrap film. Chilies kept in Glad wrap film packaging improved marketability index and shelf life for 9 to 15 days compared to open top trays (control) with shelf life of 3 to 6 days depending on cultivar. GWFP storage of chili fruits markedly reduced weight loss, decay, disease incidence, wrinkling. red chili percentage and relative electrolyte leakage as compared with control. It was noted that chilies stored under GWFP displayed significantly higher firmness, soluble solid contents, acidity, ascorbic acid with maintained radical scavenging activity. In addition, total phenolic contents, enzymatic essays i.e. superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities were significantly higher in GWFP kept chilies. Conclusively, the low cost Glad wrap film packaging can be employed as promising technique to reduce postharvest losses, extend shelf life and maintain postharvest quality of chilies leading to more profit for the growers and linked stakeholders.