International Journal of Horticulture, 2017, Vol.7, No.13, 106-114
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Scratches or minor wounds may not be apparently visible immediately after transportation however it has
significant influence during storage. The fruit skin in apples consists of the cuticle, epidermis and several layers
of hypodermis. Both skin and its waxy coat are of significant importance during transportation and storage. Most
important function of epidermis and cuticle is to protect fruit surface against environmental stresses such as wind,
temperature, drought, chemicals, insects, and microorganisms throughout the fruit life on the tree and later, after
harvest, during transportation and storage (Tukey et al., 1942; Babos et al., 1984). Compression damage may
occur in lower depth of the container as a result of load of upper fruits, while impact damage may occur due to
rough handling on the surface of fruits, and vibration forces usually occur during transportation. Packaging
container might have effect on damage of fruits. Fruits are compressed in the bottom layers as well as sides of
carton during transportation and storage which caused damages. There have been several other studies related to
the damage caused by transportation hazards. Highest bruising damage and spoilage on 3 ply Beer cartons
obtained from this study are also supported by the finding of Shrestha (1996); Gautam et al. (2004) and Subedi et
al. (2017). Paudel et al. (2016) reported that maximum damage (32.5%) was observed on control while minimum
(17.5%) on paper wrapped fruits after 60 days of storage.
3.3 Hedonic rating and juice content
At maturity stage, mean overall preference was 8.3 (Figure 1). Overall preference of fruits among the tested CFB
boxes increased during transportation and storage. Minimum overall preference (7.6) was recorded in 3 ply Beer
cartons followed by 7 ply FFD CFB boxes (7.8) while maximum (8.1-8.2) in other treatments due to ripening
which increase the appearance, crispiness, taste and aroma of fruits. Minimum sensory score maintained by 3 ply
Beer cartons might be due to inadequate strength and cushioning which increased the physical damage to apple
fruits during transportation. 7 ply CFB boxes of 20 kg capacity recommended by FFD was not appropriate
container because of more postharvest losses, inconvenience in handling and unaffordable price for the
consumers. Consumer’s preference for Golden delicious cultivar was high balance between sweetness and
sourness as compared other cultivars.
At maturity stage, mean juice content was 73.3% (Figure 1) while juice content of apples decreased during
storage ranging from 61.7-65% irrespective of packaging materials; it was higher in 7 ply 140 psi CFB boxes
while lowest in 3 ply Beer cartons. Minimum juice content in 3 ply Beer carton might be due to inadequate
strength and cushioning which increased physical damage to apple fruits resulted more water loss due to higher
evapo-transpiration and respiration during transportation. Another reason for low juice content of fruits packed in
3 ply Beer carton is due to Softening of fruits due to lack of ventilation which is an undesirable ripening process
as firmer apples tend to be juicier, crisper, crunchier and less mealy than softer fruit.CFB Box of 10 kg capacity
having 7 ply 180 psi bursting strength was easily accepted by the farmers groups, cooperatives, traders and
consumers because better retention of physical appearance, crispiness, taste, aroma, firmness and juice content.
Of the different stages of development (growth, maturation, ripening, and senescence), apple fruits are considered
horticulturally mature during maturation and early stages of ripening (Watada et al., 1984).
3.4 Total soluble solids (tss), titratable acidity (ta) and tss:ta ratio
At maturity stage, TSS, TA and TSS/TA of fruits were 12.9%, 0.29% and 44.5 respectively. TSS of fruits
increased during transportation and storage (Figure 2). Highest TSS was noticed in 3 ply Beer cartons and 7 ply
FFD CFB boxes (14.4%) while lower in other treatments (13.7-14.2%). TSS of apple is a major quality parameter
which is positively correlated with texture and composition. Increase in TSS could be attributed to breakdown of
starch into sugars or hydrolysis of cell wall polysaccharides (Weibel et al., 2004). Level of TA decreased during
transportation and storage. Lowest TA was recorded in 3 ply Beer cartons (0.20%) which may be due to more
physical damage to fruits resulting faster ripening while highest in other treatments (0.21-0.24%). Reduction of
TA during transportation and storage might be due to conversion of organic acid into reducing sugars during fruit
ripening process. Malic acid is the major acid in apple juice plays a major role in flavor attribute (Ben et al.,
1985).
