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Review
Sweet cherry (Prunus avium): Critical factors affecting thecomposition and shelf life
Ali Abas Wani a,b,c,*, Preeti Singh b,c,*, Khalid Gul d, Muzamil Habib Wani a,H.C. Langowski b,c
aDepartment of Food Technology, Islamic University of Science & Technology, Awantipora, J&K 192122, Indiab Fraunhofer Institute of Process Engineering & Packaging IVV, 85354 Freising, GermanycChair of Food Packaging Technology, Technical University of Munich, 85350 Freising, Weihenstephan, GermanydDepartment of Processing & Food Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Contents
1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
2. Cherry attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
3. Factors influencing the quality & shelf life of cherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
3.1. Pre-harvest factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
3.1.1. Type/variety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
3.1.2. Harvest time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
f o o d p a c k a g i n g a n d s h e l f l i f e 1 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 8 6 – 9 9
a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history:
Received 8 July 2013
Received in revised form
8 January 2014
Accepted 20 January 2014
Available online 2 February 2014
Keywords:
Sweet cherries
Refrigeration
Modified atmosphere packaging
Fruit quality
Shelf life
a b s t r a c t
Consumer’s demand for sweet cherry has increased due to its sweet taste, attractive colour
and high amounts of antioxidants. However, the fruit is highly perishable with a limited
shelf life of 7–10 days, and in some cases fails to reach the consumer at optimal quality after
being transported to the market. Loss of firmness, colour and flavour, stem discoloration,
desiccation and mould growth limit their shelf life over extended periods of time. The
harvest time, cultivar, handling, cooling practices and packaging greatly influence the shelf
life of cherries. Developments in packaging e.g. modified atmosphere packaging have
shown promising results in extending the shelf life of fresh produce including fresh
cherries. Properly designed modified atmosphere packs can be exploited to prevent moist-
ure loss, fungal growth, discoloration of pigments, and loss of bioactives during post-harvest
storage. The article intends to review the critical factors that play an important role in
determining the shelf life of sweet cherries. The combinations of modified atmosphere
packaging with active packaging principles would further help to maintain the optimal
quality of fresh cherries. This would further allow industries to assess long distance markets
with high quality fruits.
# 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
* Corresponding authors at: Chair of Food Packaging Technology, Technical University of Munich, 85350 Freising, Weihenstephan,Germany. Tel.: +49 8161 491 194; fax: +49 8161 491 444.
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect
journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/fpsl
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (A.A. Wani), [email protected] (P. Singh).
2214-2894/$ – see front matter # 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fpsl.2014.01.005
3.2. Post-harvest factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
3.2.1. Temperature and relative humidity (RH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
3.2.2. Microbiological spoilage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
3.2.3. Packaging & shelf life of cherries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
4. Future trends in packaging of cherries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
5. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
f o o d p a c k a g i n g a n d s h e l f l i f e 1 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 8 6 – 9 9 87
Table 1 – Top cherry producing nations as on 2009 (inthousand metric tones).
Country Production (thousand metric tonnes)
Turkey 417.7
United States 390.7
Iran 225.0
Italy 116.2
Spain 96.4
Syria 78.3
Russia 69.0
Romania 67.9
Uzbekistan 67.0
Chile 56.0
France 53.6
Ukraine 53.0
Poland 50.5
Greece 48.0
Germany 39.5
Source: Adapted from Food & Agriculture Organization of United
Nations.
1. Introduction
Sweet cherry, a fleshy non-climacteric stone fruit belongs to the
genus Prunus and is mainly grown in countries falling in
temperate climates. It is one of the most widely appreciated
fruit for its taste, sweetness, colour and myriad of nutrients.
Mostly consumed as fresh fruit, it is also dried, pickled, and
processed into jam, marmalade, fruit juice or canned. There are
many species of cherry grown in the world; sweet cherry (Prunus
avium), sour, pie or tart cherry (Prunus cerasus), black cherry
(Prunus serotina), West Indian cherry (Prunus myrtifolia) to
mention a few (Looney, Webster, & Kupperman, 1996). Sweet
cherries grown in temperate climate are commercially culti-
vated in more than 40 countries worldwide mainly between
358N and 558S latitudes where temperature and other factors
are favourable for their growth (Chadha, 2003). The major
cherry producing countries are listed in Table 1. According to
FAO (2012) the world’s total sweet cherry production was
estimated as 2,185,881 metric tonnes. A rapid increase in cherry
production is due to high consumer demands, leading to their
increase in cultivation throughout the world.
Except in Chile, Brazil, & Australia, they are harvested from
June to mid-July for their optimal taste and appearance
(Vursavus, Kelebek, & Selli, 2006). Attractive colour, sweet-
ness, sourness, firmness, wealth of antioxidants and nutrients
are the main characteristics for cherry quality (Esti, Cin-
quanta, Sinesio, Moneta, & Mateo, 2002; Usenik, Kastelec, &
Stampar, 2005; Gabriele et al., 2013). The sugars in cherry fruit
constitute 125–265 g/kg fresh weight and organic acids range
from 3.67 to 8.66 g/kg fresh weight (Usenik, Fabcic, & Stampar,
2008). They are a good source of phenolic compounds
(�1500 mg/kg of fresh weight), in which 60–74% of the phenols
by weight consist mainly of hydroxycinnamates (Jakobek,
Seruga, Medvidovic-Kosanovic, & Novak, 2007; Usenik et al.,
2008), anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols (catechins) and flavanols
(Goncalves et al., 2004a). Anthocyanins, which are responsible
for the attractive colour of cherries ranges from few mg/100 g
in light-coloured to about 700 mg/100 g in dark cherries (Wang,
Cao, & Prior, 1997). The prominent anthocyanins present in
dark-coloured cherries are Cyanidin 3-rutinoside (4–44 mg/
100 g) and cyanidine 3-glucoside (2–243 mg/100 g) while
hydroxycinnamates, neochlorogenic acid and p-coumarylqui-
nic acid have been found in adequate quantities (Kim, Heo,
Kim, Yang, & Lee, 2005). Small amounts of chlorogenic acid
and ferulic acid are also reported in cherries. Small amounts of
hydroxybenzoic acids were also found in sweet cherries
(Matilla, Hellstrom, & Torronen, 2006). The polyphenol group –
anthocyanins and hydroxycinimmic esters is expressed
through shiny red colour, an important quality attribute of
cherries (Gao & Mazza, 1995; Mazza & Miniatti, 1993).
High consumption pattern of cherry will play an important
role in the disease prevention and maintenance of healthy life
(Yilmaz, Ercisli, Zengin, Sengul, & Kafkas, 2009). The health
benefits are linked to strong antioxidant activities (Yoo, Al-Farsi,
Lee, Yoon, & Lee, 2010); known to aid the weight loss,
neuroprotective effects (Kim et al., 2005), potent cancer-
preventive properties (Kang, Seeram, Bourquin, & Nair, 2003),
pain from inflammation and arthritis (Jacob et al., 2003;
Mamani-Matsuda et al., 2006; Seeram, Momin, Nair, & Bourquin,
2002), exercise induced muscle damage symptoms (Connolly,
McHugh, & Padilla-Zakour, 2006), prevention of oxidative stress
(Traustadtir et al., 2004), and protection against neurodegen-
erative diseases (Kim et al., 2005; Usenik et al., 2008). Moreover,
cherry contains perillyl alcohol (Kris-Etherton et al., 2002), a
hydroxylated monocyclic monoterpene; efficient against the
formation and growth of many cancers (James & Belanger,
1998). The extracted phenolic compounds from cherry have
demonstrated antioxidative properties in model food systems
and in several foods, where they are finding increased use
(Rodtjer, Skibsted, & Andersen, 2006). The consumer knowledge
on health benefits of fruits has increased the demand of the fruit
and fruit-based beverages, cherries being no exception.
The narrow harvest season together with its soft texture
limits its availability in the market over longer periods.
Furthermore, it is not available to the consumers in an
optimal condition after transportation to long distances (Yoo
et al., 2010). In conventional storage conditions, the shelf life of
cherries is very short. Red skin colour, green stems, char-
acteristic flavour and texture are important physiological
characteristics of sweet cherry. These physiological aspects
f o o d p a c k a g i n g a n d s h e l f l i f e 1 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 8 6 – 9 988
play a significant role in the storage and extending the shelf
life of the cherries. In addition to good temperature manage-
ment, it is important to maintain the characteristic features of
fresh cherries – green stems, flavour, decay losses and skin
colour. During transportation they are susceptible to bruising
which leads to changes in the sugar-acid balance, fruit
softening, dessication, and the browning or discoloration of
the green stem (Alique, Zamorano, Martınez, & Alonso, 2005;
Bernalte, Sabio, Hernandez, & Gervasini, 2003). Susceptibility
to fungal rots, high transpiration rate, and vulnerability to
physiological disorders such as bruising and pitting aggravate
the deterioration of cherry (Alique et al., 2005). Physiological
and biochemical processes like loss of cell compartment and
acid degradation are more crucial than anthocyanin content
for colour changes of cherries (Bernalte et al., 2003; Esti et al.,
2002; Zhang, Quantick, & Grigor, 2000).
An optimization of harvesting, handling, storage and
distribution conditions is most important & critical factor
for practical purposes. The developments in packaging
techniques (modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), active &
intelligent packaging) have relevance to extend the shelf life of
fresh produce. The objective of this review is to give better
understanding of the cherry post-harvest changes, shelf life
and packaging considerations.
2. Cherry attributes
Sweetness, sourness, skin colour, fruit firmness and fruit
weight of cherry cultivars are the main quality attributes which
influence consumer acceptance (Crisosto, Crisosto, & Methe-
ney, 2003; Ferretti, Bacchetti, Belleggia, & Neri, 2010; Muskovics,
Felfoldi, Kovacs, Perlaki, & Kallay, 2006). Some important
quality attributes of cherry are presented in Table 4. Skin
colour is the most important indicator of quality and maturity of
fresh cherry which in turn depends on the anthocyanin content
(Esti et al., 2002). Anthocyanins range from few mg/100 g in
light-coloured to about 700 mg/100 g in dark cherries (Wang
et al., 1997). As skin colour of the fruit darkens, postharvest life
decreases (Crisosto, Garner, Crisosto, Wiley, & Southwick,
1997). Fruit weight and size are very important characteristics
for commercial market value of sweet cherries (Mitcham,
Crisosto, & Kader, 2002) and sweet cherries with large fruit
size are distinctly preferred by most consumers as they have
greater visual appeal, better taste and possess more flesh
(Blazkova, Hlusickova, & Blazek, 2002; Looney et al., 1996).
Increase in fruit size and weight of sweet cherries takes place
just before harvest as ripening occurs. As much as 25% of final
fruit weight is added in the last week of growth prior to
harvesting (Blazkova et al., 2002). Fresh cherries are rich in
sugar, anthocyanins, organic acids and tannins (Seeram,
Momin, et al., 2002) and contain twice as much ascorbic acid
(vitamin C) as oranges (Yilmaz et al., 2009). The antioxidant
capacity of cherries is due to the presence of phenolics such as
anthocyanins, and melatonin (Burkhardt, Tan, Manchester,
Hardeland, & Reiter, 2001; Seeram, Momin, et al., 2002;
Vinson, Su, Zubik, & Bose, 2001) and it is because of these
phenolics, cherries rank first followed by other 19 fruits when
comparing their antioxidant capacity (Vinson et al., 2001).
Phenolic antioxidants have many positive effects on the
human health like anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory
effects which makes them important in nutrition (Usenik et al.,
2008). Fruit firmness, an important quality attribute is directly
related to enhance the storability potential and to induce
greater resistance to mechanical damage and fruit decay (Esti
et al., 2002). Significant difference in genotypic composition in
fruit firmness is found in sweet cherries (Esti et al., 2002). It has
been found that the late cultivars of sweet cherries are firm and
dense as compared to early cultivars which are commonly
much softer. Those cultivars having TSS levels above 15 8Bx are
considered to be acceptable for sweet cherries consumption
(Kappel, Fischer-Fleming, & Hogue, 1996). Sugar concentration
of sweet cherries increases as the fruit ripens while acids
remain relatively constant (Blazkova et al., 2002). The presence
of glucose and fructose are mainly responsible for the
sweetness of sweet cherries (Serrano, Guillen, Martinez-
Romero, Castillo, & Valero, 2005) and sourness is mainly due
to the presence of organic acid (malic acid) (Bernalte et al., 2003;
Esti et al., 2002). It has been reported that TSS and titratable
acidity (TA) are much related to intensity of cherry flavour and
consumer acceptability increases with high TSS and TA levels
(Crisosto et al., 2003; Kalyoncu, Ersoy, & Yilmaz, 2009). The ratio
TSS/TA is related to the perception of sweetness, sourness or
cherry flavour (Crisosto, Crisosto, & Ritenour, 2002). TA also
depends on cultivar, with levels of 0.4–1.5%, the main organic
acid being malic acid (Bernalte et al., 2003; Esti et al., 2002). The
TSS/TA ratio at harvest is also one of the predominant
parameter for consumer acceptance together with the absence
of stem browning (Crisosto et al., 2003).
3. Factors influencing the quality & shelf life ofcherry
Fresh produce continues to actively metabolize following its
harvest, storage and transportation and marketing. During the
movement of fresh products to market, the fresh produce is
often subjected to changes in optimal storage temperature
and in some cases the retail people often fail to maintain the
desired temperature to minimize the quality deterioration.
Therefore the use of new packaging technologies to preserve
the quality of the fresh fruits is continuously increasing
thereby allowing the fresh food chain to avoid serious quality
losses. Inventory management and marketing largely deter-
mines how a product will be handled. Fresh produce probably
receives the greatest temperature abuse at the retail level;
therefore, temperature management is critical for maintain-
ing the fruit quality at all levels of fresh food chain. Rapid
temperature reduction and close temperature control are
required if fruit is to be shipped to distant markets. As
mentioned above, cherries are by nature more perishable and
post harvest quality loss is consequently higher; extending the
shelf life of sweet cherries continues to be a goal for food
industries (Meheriuk et al., 1995). Several factors affecting the
shelf life of the sweet cherries are presented in Fig. 1.
3.1. Pre-harvest factors
Sweet cherry composition depends on cultivar, climate and
maturity stage (Goncalves et al., 2004a, 2004b; Mozetic, Simcic,
Fig. 1 – Factors influencing shelf life of fresh cherry.
f o o d p a c k a g i n g a n d s h e l f l i f e 1 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 8 6 – 9 9 89
& Trebse, 2006). Various physical factors that affect the
composition of sweet cherries are categorized as climate or
soil factors (Longstroth & Perry, 1996). Factors like light
intensity, temperature, and fruit maturity influences the
stability of phytochemicals and compositional constituents
or nutritional value in sweet cherries (Ferretti et al., 2010).
Ascorbic acid and total phenolic content of cherries are
influenced by light intensity and different growing tempera-
tures. Cherry cultivation in at temperatures of 25–30 8C
significantly enhances the total phenolic and anthocyanin
content (Karlidag, Ercisli, Sengul, & Tosun, 2009). The soil
types, mulching, fertilization and decayed organic matter, also
influence the water and nutrient supply to the plant ultimately
influencing the nutritional composition of the fruit (Ferretti
et al., 2010).
The two key physiological factors influencing the compo-
sition of cherries are maturation and ripening. The enzymes
responsible for textural changes during ripening and
maturation are pectin methyl-esterase (PME), polygalactur-
onase (PG) and b-galactosidase (b-Gal) (Remon, Venturini,
Lopez-Buesa, & Oria, 2003). Increase in fruit softening is
caused by the increasing solubilization of the cell walls
caused by the joint activity of PME and PG. The rapid increase
in size and weight occurs during the last few weeks prior to
harvest (Revell, 2008). The formation of major polyphenol
groups in cherries (anthocyanins and hydroxycinnamic
esters) is observed during this phase of fruit development
(Chaovanalikit & Wrolstad, 2004; Goncalves et al., 2004b;
Mozetic, Trebse, & Hribar, 2002), which contributes to the
total antioxidant activity (Goncalves et al., 2004b; Khaniza-
deh, Tsao, Rekika, Yang, & Dell, 2007; Serrano, Guillen, et al.,
2005; Vangdal, Sekse, & Slimestad, 2007; Vursavus et al.,
2006). Climatic, agronomic conditions (crop load, culture in
greenhouses or fields, biological culture, etc.) and degree of
ripening may also play an important role in the formation of
phenolic compounds in fruit tissues (Drogoudi, Tsipouridis,
& Pantelidis, 2009; Goncalves et al., 2004a, 2004b; McGhie,
Hunt, & Barnett, 2005; Serrano, Martınez-Romero, Castillo,
Guillen, & Valero, 2005). The primary characteristic of the
fruit maturation is the change in its colour from initial green
colour to red, violet or blackish which is originated from the
accumulation of anthocyanins and chlorophyll degradation.
This accumulated anthocyanin content is the most impor-
tant indicator of quality and maturity of fresh cherry (Esti
et al., 2002). The total anthocyanins are higher in ripe cherries
than in partially ripe ones (Goncalves et al., 2004a). The
content of cyanidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside in
the cherries decreases several fold during cold storage for 15
days at 1 8C (Esti et al., 2002). However, the occurrence and the
relative amounts of the major anthocyanins cyanidin-3-
rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside do not change by the
stage of ripeness. In addition, the hydroxycinnamic acid
profile and the ratio between the two major HCAs, neo-
chlorogenic acid and 30-p-coumarylquinnic acid, are not
maturation dependent, except in the very early stages of the
fruit. Minor anthocyanins, which together represent on
average 2% of total anthocyanins, stabilize their relative
amounts in the final phases of maturity (last 2 days). The dry
matter content and TSS content (8Bx) increase during
development (Kovacs, Kristof, Perlaki, & Szollosi, 2008).
The concentration of fructose and glucose, main sugars
found in sweet cherries (Serrano, Guillen, et al., 2005),
increases during ripening. However, the concentration of
glucose increases more than that of sucrose as found in
almost 13 varieties of cherries (Usenik et al., 2008). Fruits
become much sweeter during ripening as sugar concentra-
tions increase while acids, predominantly malic acid, remain
relatively constant. The major serious limitations for profit-
able sweet cherry production is the fungal diseases which kill
the flowers and shoots, or rot the fruits, caused by rainfall and
high humidity during the growing season, particularly at
blooming or harvesting time (Simon, 2006).
3.1.1. Type/variety
Despite efforts of horticultural production, classification and
packaging, one of the main problems in cherry production is
the uncontrollable effect of the natural product variability.
Selection of cultivars (and the orchard elevation) with the
desirable quality attributes and optimum maturity should be
attempted to produce high quality products (Faniadis, Dro-
goudi, & Vasilakkis, 2010). Cultivar selection is a major quality
factor as the genetic make-up of the plant determines the
structural and chemical features of the fruit (Powrie & Skura,
1991). The fruit size decreases with increase in the plant
density, and the quality measured in terms of sweetness (TSS)
shows an accelerating competitiveness between the trees
(Eccher & Granelli, 2006). Fruit to leaf area ratio is the most
important and deciding factor affecting fruit weight for a
particular cultivar (Flore & Layne, 1999). Kappel et al. (1996)
indicated that cultivars should be correctly chosen, particu-
larly in context with fruit size. Irrigation and nutritional
aspects should be taken care of to avoid firmness and TSS
reduction in fruits (Crisosto, Johnson, Luza, & Crisosto, 1994).
The use of reflective taps at harvest can reduce stem browning
and improve the fruit quality in sweet cherries during
subsequent storage (Schick & Toivonen, 2002).
Table 2 – Proximate composition of cherry fruit at different stages of maturity.
Maturity stages
Un-ripened Semi-ripened Fully ripened
Moisture (%) 74.84 78.26 81.57
Ash (%) 5.36 5.23 4.21
Crude protein (%) 4.23 5.11 5.91
Crude fibre (%) 2.20 1.98 1.80
Total sugars (mg/100 g FW) 1.10 2.01 2.87
Total acids (mg/100 g FW) 14.46 25.95 38.06
Total flavonols (mg/100 DW) 29.36 50.99 69.86
Source: Adapted and modified from Mahmood, Anwar, Bhatti, and Iqbal (2013).
f o o d p a c k a g i n g a n d s h e l f l i f e 1 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 8 6 – 9 990
3.1.2. Harvest timeRipening studies are of special interest in identification of
optimum point of maturity which in turn dictates the harvest
time. These studies enable delivery of fruit to consumers in its
best condition in terms of nutritional, sensory and textural
properties (Serradilla et al., 2010). Sweet cherries exhibit
important biochemical and morphological changes like
increase in colour intensity and sugar content during
maturation which are considered as the main indicators of
maturity (Tudela, Luchsinger, Artes-Hdez, & Artes, 2005). The
maturity of the fruit varies within and between the planted
trees; harvest time may change according to ecologic condi-
tions. Cherries harvested before optimal indices of colour and
total soluble solids (TSS) are less acceptable by the consumers.
The higher the colour & TSS content, the greater is the
perception of quality. To avoid fruit cracking, fruit softening
and rapid decay after harvest, as a result of rain, premature
picking of sweet cherries is practised by growers. Usenik et al.
(2005) reported insufficient size, low content of soluble solids
and moderate colour in early harvested cherries. A significant
quality loss was observed in cherries when harvested one
week after fruit maturity (Padilla-Zakour et al., 2007). For
efficient mechanical harvesting of sweet cherries, the fruit
removal force (the force required to pull the fruit from the
stem) must be lower than 300 g.
3.2. Post-harvest factors
During ripening of the sweet cherries, there occurs increase in
fruit weight, soluble solids content, fructose, malic acid and
total antioxidant activity, as well as in bioactive compounds
and decrease in firmness and glucose level. The most rapid
fruit size increase occurs during the first week of ripening
(Blazkova et al., 2002). During ripening, an accumulation of
anthocyanins, especially cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside takes place
and produces the red-purple colour typical of the fruit. As
cherry skin colour changes from full light red to full dark, fruit
weight, soluble solids content, TSS/TA ratio increases
(Romano, Cittadini, Pugh, & Schouten, 2006), changes in
firmness with the changes in skin colour occur (Mitcham,
Clayton, & Biasi, 1998). The proximate composition of cherry
fruit at different stages of maturity is shown in Table 2.
Once harvested, cherries are extremely difficult to handle
as they deteriorate rapidly due to bruising of the skin,
softening, changes in the sugar-acid balance, desiccation
and browning of the stem and surface pitting (Alique et al.,
2005; Bernalte et al., 2003; Kupferman & Sanderson, 2001;
Petracek, Joles, Shirazi, & Cameron, 2002). Water is lost rapidly
from both the fruit as well as from the stem which in turn is
responsible for the subsequent loss of sugar in the cells,
softening of the fruit, and darkening of the stem (Yaman &
Bayindirli, 2001). During storage, the fruit metabolism con-
tinues inducing changes in the phenolic and other antioxidant
content (Amarowicz et al., 2008). The storage has variable
effects on the total phenolic and anthocyanin contents,
mainly influenced by the cultivar and storage conditions
(Goncalves et al., 2004a, 2004b; Mozetic et al., 2006). An
increase in phenolic content was observed in the days
following fruit harvest which generally stable during storage
period (Kevers et al., 2007). During cold storage general
increase (over 40–60% on average) in phenolic compound
was observed by several researchers (Goncalves et al., 2004a;
Serrano et al., 2009). Cherries also tend to lose their shiny red
colour after their harvest (Bernalte et al., 2003; Esti et al., 2002),
mainly caused by total and individual anthocyanin degrada-
tion (Goncalves et al., 2007; Mazza & Miniatti, 1993). The others
factors influencing colour changes are physiological and
biochemical processes, e.g. loss of cell compartment and acid
degradation are more crucial compared to anthocyanins
changes in cherries (Bernalte et al., 2003; Esti et al., 2002;
Zhang et al., 2000). The total amount of oxidation enzymes like
peroxidase (POX) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) increase
significantly during storage and the activity of pectinmethy-
lesterase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PG) enzymes present
in sweet cherries increase approximately 2–2.5-fold during the
storage period of 5 days, leading to breakdown of the cell wall
and texture of the cherries (Remon et al., 2003).
The impact damage increases with decrease in fruit
temperature which results in pitting. Delayed storage, con-
ditioning or heat treatments (at moderate or high levels)
before cold storage, can alleviate low temperature damage,
enhance resistance to pathogen infection, inactivate patho-
gens, and reversibly inhibit fruit ripening or largely delay
senescence. Influences of storage conditions on firmness have
been measured and it has been found that while changing
from initial green to over-ripe stage, a typical increase in
firmness is observed during the initial development period of
the fruit, followed by a firmness decrease until a practically
constant minimum value is reached (Demir & Kalyoncu, 2003;
Mafraa et al., 2001). The time to reach the maximum firmness
and the rate of softening are the characteristic for the cultivar
(Muskovics et al., 2006). The decrease in firmness after the
peak value depends on cultivar and cell enlargement during
fruit growth. Remon et al. (2003) reported that Burlat cherries
f o o d p a c k a g i n g a n d s h e l f l i f e 1 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 8 6 – 9 9 91
are very sensitive to cracking and their postharvest shelf-life
extension is very complicated, and they need to be harvested
at optimum ripeness degree to improve postharvest quality.
TSS content in sweet Burlat cherries increases from initial
15.5 8Bx to approximately 18.0 8Bx as a result of the water loss
(approx. 9%) during 5 days storage and the TA shows a slight
decrease (Remon et al., 2003). The total phenolic content
increased during storage in cultivars like Van and Tragana at
most location sites, while storage showed no effect in phenolic
content of Burlat cherries (Esti et al., 2002; Goncalves et al.,
2004a).
3.2.1. Temperature and relative humidity (RH)Two critical factors that influence the sweet cherry quality
during post-harvest storage are temperature and relative
humidity (RH) (Yaman & Bayindirli, 2002). In cold chain
management, temperature is constantly monitored & con-
trolled but RH is difficult to maintain in the storage or
distribution chain. There are practical difficulties in main-
taining RH in large storage rooms within a narrow range at
very high relative humidity. At high RH, a small fluctuation in
temperature (<0.5 8C) can result in condensation on cool
surfaces. Fibre board and wood absorbs water and may
decrease RH in a room. High RH will not prevent moisture loss
if the product temperature is not near the air temperature. The
optimum temperature for harvest and handling of sweet
cherries is found to be 10–20 8C, while the optimum storage
temperature is reported to be 0 8C at a RH range of 90–95%
(Bernalte, Hernandez, Vidal-Aragon, & Sabio, 1999). Storage
temperature is also important factor that affects the post-
ripening behaviour, respiration, transpiration, senescence and
other physiological actions. Temperature fluctuation during
storage is another key factor which increases the activation of
oxidases and hence speed up the post-ripening of stored sweet
cherries (Romano et al., 2006). Lowering fruit temperatures
immediately after harvest, results in firmer fruit with reduced
decay and greener stem (Manganaris, Ilias, Vasilakasis, &
Mignani, 2007). Fast cooling system is particularly important to
achieve a rapid decrease in product temperature. An increased
shelf life of 30 days was achieved when hydro-cooled Lambert
cherries were treated with fungicides and placed in plastic
bags (Do, Saulankhe, Sisson, & Bos, 1966).
Cold storage or cooling treatment has been practised since
long and appears to be most reliable way to stop fruit
deterioration (Conte, Scrocco, Lecce, Mastromatteo, & Del
Nobile, 2009). As the harvesting season is quite short, cold
storage is used to extend the shelf life and stretch supply
period in the season. Esti et al. (2002) characterized and
compared two sweet cherry cultivars to assess the effects of
refrigeration on quality attributes of the cherries after 15 days
of storage at 1 8C and 95% RH. Mild variations in sensory and
chemical quality were noticed, however, changes seemed to
be dependent on the varieties under study. Hydrocooling as a
precooling treatment has been evaluated to study the effect on
ripening related parameters of two sweet cherry cultivars after
1-week refrigerated storage (0 8C, 95% RH) Results showed that
hydrocooling delayed the deterioration and senescence of
cherry fruit, maintained higher quality, as indicated by
reduced stem browning and surface shrivelling (Manganaris
et al., 2007). Further studies have shown that cherry fruit
subjected to hydrocooling followed by 1 week’s storage at 0 8C
and 95 RH retained their quality for further 3 days at room
temperature but after 5 days at room temperature many of the
fruit were of unacceptable quality. Sweet cherries are also
fumigated with methyl bromide (MeBr) usually in U.S. to meet
quarantine restrictions imposed by some importing countries
(FAO, 1983; Neven & Drake, 2000). Owing to the identification
of MeBr as an ozone depleter and that it is mainly used for soil
sterilization; there is no guarantee that this chemical will be
available for postharvest. Certain studies also report that
irradiation to be effective to combat insect pests that pose
quarantine concerns in U.S. produced sweet cherries (Neven &
Drake, 2000). Kupferman and Sanderson (2001) studied the use
of MAP liners at different temperatures and demonstrated that
fruit deterioration was slowed significantly at lower tempera-
ture as compared to fruit held at higher temperatures. The
range of TSS accounts for 11–20 8Bx and it remains almost in
the same range in refrigerated as well as MAP storage for
several weeks (Alique, Martinez, & Alonso, 2003; Crisosto et al.,
2003; Meheriuk et al., 1995; Remon et al., 2003; Serrano,
Guillen, et al., 2005; Tian, Jiang, Xu, & Wang, 2004; Wargo,
Padilla-Zakour, & Tandon, 2003). During cold storage, TSS
decrease or remain constant while TA decrease, resulting in an
increase in TSS/TA ratio, regardless of packaging conditions
used (Conte et al., 2009). The acidity for sweet cherries range
from 0.4 to 1.5% in normal storage and behaves differently in
different storages. TA of sweet cherries decline steadily over
the storage period and by 10th week achieves about 50% of its
value (Meheriuk et al., 1995). TA decrease in normal,
refrigerated as well as in MAP storage at different tempera-
tures and ranges from 0.97 to 0.44% (Alique et al., 2003;
Crisosto, Smilanick, & Dokoozlian, 2001; Kupferman &
Sanderson, 2001; Remon et al., 2003; Serrano, Guillen, et al.,
2005; Tian et al., 2004; Wargo et al., 2003). TA decreased from
0.97% at harvest to 0.67% in cherries packed in the perforated
box liner. Cherries packed in the solid box liner had 0.63%
while cherries packed in any of the MAP box liners ended with
0.70% after 45 days cold storage (Crisosto et al., 2002).
3.2.2. Microbiological spoilageThe main causes of sweet cherry deterioration are weight loss,
colour changes, softening, surface pitting, stem browning and
loss of acidity (Bernalte et al., 2003). Fruit is also infected by
rain splits or wounds occurring at harvest or during packing
(Mattheis, 1998). The other responsible factors for the decay of
sweet cherries are the post-harvest rots emanating from
several fungi which cause considerable economic losses. They
further start fermentative metabolism leading to development
of off-flavours due to ethanol and acetaldehyde formation (Esti
et al., 2002). A number of diseases, insects, animal pests and
environmental conditions cause heavy sweet cherry losses.
The most serious disease is bacterial canker caused by
Pseudomonas syringae (Bright & Marte, 2004). The fungal
spoilage is mainly due to species of genera Penicillium, Botrytis
and Monilinia responsible for blue rot, grey mould and brown
rot, respectively (Venturini, Oria, & Blanco, 2002). The
occurrence of these rots and their influence on cherry quality
is dependent on cultivar (Kappel, Toivonen, McKenzie, & Stan,
2002) and ripening stage at harvest (Drake & Elfving, 2002).
Fruits like sweet cherries are infected by different pathogens,
f o o d p a c k a g i n g a n d s h e l f l i f e 1 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 8 6 – 9 992
both in the field and even more so during post harvest storage.
The damage to sweet cherries by fungal spoilage of the
Penicillium, Botrytis and Monilinia genera can be serious, in
particular for longer storage periods (Conte et al., 2009). The
main decay is grey mould caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers.
infecting fruits and Rhizopus rot induced by Rhizopus stolonifer
(Romanazzi, Nigro, & Ippolito, 2009), which attacks sweet
cherries (Maas, 1998). Rhizopus soft rot of cherries occurs
throughout the world on harvested fleshy organs of the fruit
during storage, transit, and marketing (Romanazzi, Nigro,
Ippolito, & Salerno, 2001). They also suffer heavy losses by
brown rot, caused by three different species of the genus
Monilinia (M. laxa, M. frutigena and M. fructicola) and to a lesser
extent, by blue mould caused by Pencillium expansum, Alter-
naria rot by Alternaria alternata and Cladosporium rot caused by
Cladosporium sp. (Romanazzi et al., 2009). Penicillium expansum
produces the mycotoxin patulin, which rise to unacceptable
levels and thus affect the quality of the fruit (Romanazzi et al.,
2001). Blumeriella jaapii a fungi causes potentially devastating
disease known as cherry leaf spot in sour and sweet cherries
and plums. It not only causes a direct loss in yield, fruit quality,
but also accelerate premature defoliation and weakens trees
thereof makes them less winter-hardy. Sweet cherry fruit is
unique with higher tolerance to elevated CO2 concentrations
than most stone fruits (Wang & Vestrheim, 2002). High levels
of CO2 are used to reduce losses from decay by many fungi in
the fruit (DeVries-Patterson, Jones, & Cameron, 1991).
3.2.3. Packaging & shelf life of cherriesAt commercial level, cherries are packed in fibreboard boxes
within polyethylene film liners to a large extent and also in
wooden crates in some areas. Shrink packaging in plastic
punnets is also carried out which affects the texture of fresh
cherries to a large extent. The boxes are stacked to a pallet and
the removal of heat under these conditions is very slow.
Boxing and palletizing creates barriers that result in widely
different gas atmospheres and the chances of spoilage are
higher. Recently, Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) of
cherries has been used and widely studied to enhance the
shelf life and reduce post harvest losses.
MAP application for sweet cherries has gained acceptance
in many of the larger sweet cherry producing areas of the
world, such as in the Pacific Northwest of the USA (Padilla-
Zakour et al., 2007), Canada, Europe, and Australia (Rai, Oberoi,
& Baboo, 2002). In these regions, MAP of sweet cherries has
been used to reduce the transportation cost (using ships
instead of air freight, for example) to overseas markets.
Efficiently designed MA packages have less respiration and
ripening, there by retards the moisture loss (Aharoni et al.,
2007; Mitcham et al., 2002). This technology (MAP) is most
efficient when used in combination with refrigeration, as
lower temperatures help to slow down the spoilage processes
(Singh, Wani, & Goyal, 2012).
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is a recognized
technology to delay the physicochemical changes, retard
microbial spoilage and retain colour by reducing the oxidation
to extend the shelf life (Singh, Langowski, Wani, & Saengerlaub,
2010). The use of MAP has been reported to be effective in
delaying the physico-chemical changes related to quality loss of
sweet cherries (Petracek et al., 2002; Remon et al., 2000; Spotts,
Cervantes, & Facteau, 2002; Tian et al., 2004). One of the most
important attributes of MAP is that it can preserve green stem
colour and fruit firmness, both critical attributes for marketing
cherries in retail stores (Kappel et al., 2002; Padilla-Zakour,
Tandon, & Wargo, 2004; Remon et al., 2000). It effectively retards
deterioration of certain cherry quality parameters (Artes,
Gomez & Artes-Hernandez, 2006) and decay caused by fungal
growth (Tian, Fan, Xu, Wang, & Jiang, 2001). By altering the levels
of gases in the modified atmosphere (MA) package, reduction in
various natural spoilage processes including decline in respira-
tion rates, reducing oxidation and preventing bacterial and
fungal growth can be achieved.
It has been reported that CO2 depresses the growth of
aerobic bacteria species and various fungi at low tempera-
tures. CO2 levels in MAP of sweet cherries do not appear to
influence the rate of respiration or the production of ethanol or
acetaldehyde (Jaime, Oria, & Salvador, 2001; Petracek et al.,
2002). However, CO2 concentrations greater than 30% have
been associated with brown skin discoloration and off-flavour.
The solubility of CO2 decreases dramatically with increasing
temperature; hence the storage temperature of MAP product
should be kept as low as possible. Bacteria and fungal species
commonly causing food spoilage need O2 for their prolifera-
tion which in turn favours several food spoilage mechanisms
(oxidative rancidity, browning, and colour changes). To inhibit
these reactions, O2 in a package must be decreased to a
minimum level. However, total exclusion of O2 favours the
growth of specific anaerobic like Clostridium botulinum. Differ-
ent O2 and CO2 concentrations and mixtures of gases have
been used for different cherry cultivars (Padilla-Zakour et al.,
2007; Conte et al., 2009).
MAP appears to offer cherry growers a tool for maintaining
quality during storage and marketing. MAP treatments
maintain fruit colour and intensity (brightness), preserve
green stem colour, maintain fruit firmness, prevent water
loss and shrivelling, and keep cherries in excellent condition
(Kahlke, Padilla-Zakour, Cooley, & Robinson, 2009; Wargo
et al., 2003). The total anthocyanin content of sweet cherries
increases slightly with MAP during storage (Conte et al., 2009;
Padilla-Zakour et al., 2007; Remon et al., 2000). This increase
of anthocyanin content is most probably counterbalanced by
CO2 concentrations in the headspace that inhibits enzyme
activity favouring stability of colour (Remon, Ferrer, Lopez-
Buesa, & Oria, 2004; Rocha & Morais, 2001). The firmness of
sweet cherries stored in MAP slightly decrease with storage
time. However, sweet cherry firmness increases when stored
in MAP (Tian et al., 2004). Most of the sweet cherry cultivar
acidity is lost with MAP. It shows a slight increase after 5 days
storage period followed by a gradual decrease so that the final
values are approximately 10–15% lower than the initial ones
(Remon et al., 2003). The pH and 8Bx remain relatively stable
with MAP. However, there is a slight increase in the pH values
of sweet cherries, most probably due to the decrease of acidity
(Remon et al., 2003; Serrano, Martınez-Romero, et al., 2005).
TSS content of sweet cherries is found to almost constant
during the MAP storage (Remon et al., 2003). Weight loss in
cherries is higher than in other commodities not only due to
their low skin diffusion resistance (Serrano, Guillen, et al.,
2005), but also to a higher surface/volume ratio. Concerning
the effects of the modified atmosphere on the weight loss
Table 3 – Shelf life extension of sweet cherries under refrigerated/MAP conditions.
Cultivar Storage conditions Storagetime (days)
TSS TA 8Bx/TA pH Stem colour(% green)
Anthocyanins(mg/g)
Firmness(0–100)
Colour(hue)
References
Lapins MAP-(LDPE bags, 0 8C) 0 17.52 0.72 24.30 – 100 – 77.20 31.60 Meheriuk and others (1995)
42 17.30 0.60 28.80 – 70 – 77.00 33.20
70 18.05 0.37 48.40 – 55 – 68.70 27.20
Bing Normal-(solid boxliners, 34 8F) 0 – 0.97 – – 100 – 240 32.50 Crisosto and others (2001)
30 – 0.75 – – 60 – 210 37.00
45 – 0.65 – – 35 – 195 50.00
MAP-(MAP boxliners, 34 8F) 0 – 0.97 – – 100 – 240 32.50
30 – 0.77 – – 75 – 210 37.00
45 – 0.70 – – 65 – 205 47.00
Bing MAP(Lifespan liner, 34 8F) 0 – 0.97 – – – – 290 17.50 Kupferman and Sanderson (2001)
19 – 0.71 – – – – 300 19.40
34 – 0.60 – – – – 317 19.50
MAP-(Liespan liner, 45 8F) 0 – 0.97 – – – – 290 17.50
19 – 0.58 – – – – 295 17.60
34 – 0.61 – – – – 255 18.30
Bing Ambient-(perforated boxes, 38 8F) 0 15.80 0.97 – – 100 – 240 32.00 Crisosto and others (2003)
30 – 0.67 – – 50 – 220 45.00
45 – 0.60 – – 30 – 190 53.00
MAP-(MAP lifespan box liners,
38 8F)
0 15.80 0.97 – – 100 – 240 32.00
30 – 0.75 – – 70 – 205 40.00
45 – 0.70 – – 60 – 200 45.00
Navalinda Macroperforated (mp) film, 4 8Cand 20 8C)
1 17.07 0.70 24.38 – – – 60 – Alique and others (2003)
8 16.43 0.67 24.52 – – – 60 –
12 16.57 0.64 25.89 – – – 70 –
MAP (microperfo-rated PP films,
4 8C and 20 8C)
1 18.06 0.70 25.80 – – – 65 –
8 17.41 0.70 24.87 – – – 55 –
12 16.31 0.69 23.63 – – – 55 –
Burlat Refrigerated-(unpackaged, 5 8C) 0 15.80 0.65 24.30 – – 0.30 – – Remon and others (2003)
5 15.60 0.66 23.63 – – 0.40 – –
10 18.00 0.58 31.03 – – 0.40 – –
MAP-(PP bags with
676 ml m�2 h�1 atm�1 permeability
for both O2 and CO2, 8C)
0 15.80 0.65 24.30 – – 0.30 – –
5 15.00 0.67 23.28 – – 0.37 – –
10 16.00 0.62 25.80 – – 0.35 – –
Lapins Ambient-(LDPE, 38 8F) 0 17.52 0.72 24.33 – 100 – 75.00 – Wargo and others (2003)
28 17.38 0.64 27.15 – 50 – 79.00 –
MAP-(LDPE, 38 8F) 0 17.52 0.72 24.33 – 100 – 75.00 –
28 17.38 0.63 27.16 – 100 – 75.00 –
f o
o d
p
a c
k a
g i
n g
a
n d
s
h e
l f
l
i f
e 1
(
2 0
1 4
) 8
6 –
9 9
9
3
Table 3 (Continued )
Cultivar Storage conditions Storagetime (days)
TSS TA 8Bx/TA pH Stem colour(% green)
Anthocyanins(mg/g)
Firmness(0–100)
Colour(hue)
References
Lapins MAP-(PE bags with 5%O2 +10%CO2,
1 8C)
0 18.50 0.97 19.07 – 100 – 78.00 – Tian and others (2004)
20 18.50 0.80 23.12 – 100 – 80.00 –
40 18.00 0.75 24.00 – 95 – 80.00 –
MAP-(PE bags with 13–18%O2 + 2–
4%CO2, 1 8C)
0 18.50 0.97 19.07 – 100 – 78.00 –
20 18.50 0.70 26.42 – 100 – 78.00 –
40 18.00 0.65 27.69 – 90 – 77.50 –
Starking MAP-(PP Films without antifungal
treatment,1 8C)
0 16.57 0.91 18.20 3.70 100 – 1.48 N – Serrano, Martınez-Romero, et al. (2005)
16 16.58 0.44 37.68 4.50 45 – 1.15 N –
MAP-(PP Films with antifungal
treatment,1 8C)
0 16.57 0.91 18.20 3.70 100 – 1.48 N –
16 16.58 0.60 27.63 4.20 80 – 1.10 N –
Ferrovia Refrigerated storage-(PP film, 0 8C) 0 – – 28.00 3.7 – 1.65 – – Conte and others (2009)
14 – – 28.50 3.8 – 1.29 – –
20 – – 33.00 3.8 – 0.95 – –
MAP-(PP film, 0 8C) 0 – – 22.00 3.8 – 1.39 – –
14 – – 25.00 3.8 – 0.95 – –
20 – – 28.00 3.9 – 0.67 – –
Refrigerated-(polyster film, 08 0 – – 28.00 3.7 – 1.65 – –
14 – – 27.50 3.8 – 1.29 – –
20 – – 31.00 3.8 – 1.09 – –
MAP-(Polyester film, 0 8C) 0 – – 22.00 3.8 – 1.39 – –
14 – – 28.00 3.9 – 1.01 – –
20 – – 28.00 4.0 – 0.64 – –
f o
o d
p
a c
k a
g i
n g
a
n d
s
h e
l f
l
i f
e 1
(
2 0
1 4
) 8
6 –
9 9
94
Table 4 – Some important quality attributes and their average found in sweet cherry cultivars.
Cultivar Ascorbic acid content 8Bx Total acids % Total sugars % Sugar acid ratio
Arthur 21.6 17.3 0.60 11.2c 18.8
Anu 24.8 19.6 0.72 11.1 19.3
Elle 21.6 15.9 0.60 9.4 15.7
Elo 21.0 14.9 0.58 9.0 16.1
Ene 18.8 17.2 0.75 11.1 16.6
Jaago 13.8 17.0 0.65 10.4 16.5
Jurgita 20.6 17.7 0.67 7.7 11.5
Iputj 19.6 16.3 0.50 10.0 20.3
Irma 19.9 17.8 0.60 10.3 17.2
Kaspar 21.4 17.3 0.54 10.8 20.0
Mupi 16.7 17.3 0.63 11.0 17.9
Polli 2–1 15.5 17.8 0.61 10.1 17.2
Polli 4–13 21.6 17.7 0.67 10.5 16.1
Taki 16.5 17.0 0.70 10.7 15.3
Tiki 21.4 14.6 0.60 9.8 16.6
Tontu 21.1 18.9 0.73 11.1 15.3
Average 19.2 17.2 0.64 10.3 16.9
Source: Adapted and modified from Janes, Ardel, Kahu, Kelt, and Kikas (2010).
f o o d p a c k a g i n g a n d s h e l f l i f e 1 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 8 6 – 9 9 95
kinetic, it is seen that cherries stored under MAP have a higher
percentage weight loss, compared to sample packaged under
ordinary conditions (Conte et al., 2009). Table 3 shows the
comprehensive list of the effect of MAP on different physico-
chemical quality attributes of sweet cherries as studied by
various researchers. High levels of humidity in the MAP
packed cherries results in water condensation, some fruit
cracking, specifically after 8 and 10 days of storage (Meheriuk
et al., 1995).
The relationship between TSS, acidity and visual appear-
ance plays an important role in determining consumer
acceptance of this fruit (Crisosto et al., 2003). MAP prevents
decay of stem colour and maintains its greenness for several
months as compared to refrigerated storage in which the
greenish colour is maintained for less time. Stems of sweet
cherries remain green during the l0-week storage period
(Meheriuk et al., 1995). MAP treatments preserved fruit
brightness and kept cherries in excellent condition during
four weeks of storage (Wargo et al., 2003). Stem remain green
in MAP cherries with antifungal treatment (eugenol, thymol or
menthol) while they became brown in cherries without
treatment (Serrano, Guillen, et al., 2005; Serrano, Martınez-
Romero, et al., 2005). Sweet cherries are known for the shiny
red colour, an important quality attribute for the consumer,
through which high quantities polyphenols (anthocyanin)
content is expressed. Anthocyanin content for cherries stored
at refrigerated temperature decreased during storage (without
MAP), probably due to the high oxidative activity of poly-
phenyloxidase and increasing pH (Conte et al., 2009) and the
same results were obtained by Esti et al. (2002) and vice versa
for cherries packed under MAP. Remon et al. (2003) reported
that total anthocyanin content increases after harvest under
MAP conditions but more so in cherries without MAP
conditions. The total anthocyanins in Lambert sweet cherries
after 12 days storage in the refrigerator showed no change and
an average 9% decrease from 576 to 525 mg was found in
cherries treated with 1-methylcyclopropene (Mozetic et al.,
2006). Cherry firmness decreased from 238 g to approximately
193 g by 45 days of cold storage (Crisosto et al., 2003) and from
240 to 205 g in MAP storage. Alique et al. (2003) and Serrano,
Martınez-Romero, et al. (2005) also reported that firmness
decreased in sweet cherries with storage time. Firmness of
sweet cherries decreases more in normal storage than under
MAP conditions. However, Kupferman and Sanderson (2001)
reported firmness increase in case of sweet cherries when
stored in MAP-(Lifespan liners) at 34 8F and Wargo and others
(2003) reported same results when cherries were stored in
LDPE bags at 38 8F for 28 days under normal conditions. The
fruits stored in 5% O2 plus 10% CO2 had a higher degree of
firmness (Tian et al., 2004). Higher values of firmness are
obtained when sweet cherries are treated with gibberlic acid
during their storage (Usenik et al., 2008). Packing in MAP at 0 8C
did not alter the subsequent respiratory intensity of the fruits
at 20 8C; however, the respiratory intensity at 20 8C did
increase when the storage temperature was raised to 4 8C
(Alique et al., 2003). At low temperatures, the respiration rate
of the fruit is lower and therefore less O2 is used. At warmer
temperature, respiration rate of sweet cherries increase and
the O2 in the bag can be depleted leading to fruit injury (Wargo
et al., 2003). In one study, it has been reported that storing
cherries in 5% O2: 10% CO2 significantly retarded the various
enzymatic activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and perox-
idase (POD), lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content, which
results in reduction of flesh browning, decreased fruit
spoilage/decay and hence extended shelf life as compared
to other studied treatments (Tian et al., 2004). PME activity
increase approximately 2–2.5-fold during the storage period of
10 days (Remon et al., 2003). Vitamin C contents decrease
rapidly with storage time. Sweet cherries stored in 5% O2 and
10% CO2 had a relatively higher vitamin C content than that in
other treatments (Tian et al., 2004).
The optimal modified atmospheric conditions for storage
and transport of cherries has been widely reported. CO2
concentrations between 10 and 15% and O2 concentrations
between 3 and 10% have been reported to be adequate for
preservation of cherries (Bishop, 1990; Kader, 1992). Eris et al.
(1993) recommended 5% O2 and 5% CO2 for cultivars like
Napoleon, Karabour and Stella. Ionescu, Millin, Batovici, Panait,
& Maraineanu (1978) proposed O2 concentration of 3% and CO2
concentration of 5% as adequate for cultivars like Heldenfigen
f o o d p a c k a g i n g a n d s h e l f l i f e 1 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 8 6 – 9 996
and Gemerdof. Meheriuk et al. (1997) reported optimal condi-
tions for sweetheart cherries preservation to be 5% CO2 and 10%
O2 or 4%CO2 and 6%O2. Bing cherries are optimally preserved at
0.03% CO2 and 0.5–2% O2 (Chen, Mellenthin, Kelly, & Facteau,
1981) while different conditions (20% CO2 and 5% O2) should be
used for Burtlat cherries (Remon et al., 2003). Concentrations of
O2 � 1% have been reported as crucial for the onset of pitting
and off-flavours in some sweet cherry cultivars. MAP with
CO2:O2 concentrations of 8%:5% and 10%:5% has been found to
effectively reduce rotting, browning of peduncles, darkening of
fruit colour and loss of firmness and acidity as compared to fruit
packed in macro-perforated box liners in sweet cherries
(Crisosto et al., 2002). MAP with 9–12% CO2 and 1–3% O2
effectively prolongs shelf life, especially for fruit harvested at
the red colour (Remon et al., 2000).
4. Future trends in packaging of cherries
Beyond moisture control, the most important modified
atmosphere packaging objective for cherries has been the
removal of oxygen. For the efficient utilization of MAP
technology, it is necessary to generate additional information
that can serve as a practical source for preservation of
cherries. There is a need to devise packaging films with
efficient and integrated moisture, oxygen and carbon dioxide
control mechanisms. Active packaging systems include
oxygen scavengers, carbon dioxide scavengers and emitters,
moisture control agents and antimicrobial packaging tech-
nologies can be incorporated in the packaging systems with
the aim of maintaining or extending the shelf life. The use of
Oxygen, CO2 and ethylene scavengers/emitters can be helpful
in establishing a rapid equilibrium atmosphere within the
sealed packages. Oxygen scavengers are easily oxidizable
substances included in the packaging system, with iron
powder and ascorbic acid being commonly used substances.
Commonly used ethylene scavenger, potassium permanga-
nate and activated carbon, in sachets can be placed inside
cherry packaging system for effectively avoiding the softening
and ripening of cherries. Biodegradable packaging films with
higher oxygen barrier properties and antimicrobial efficiencies
combined with MAP conditions could be advantageously used
to package ready-to-eat cherries because it could represent a
good compromise between film performances and package
environmental impact.
5. Conclusion
The article deals with the factors responsible for the shelf
life of sweet cherries and the importance of modified
atmosphere packaging technique in preserving their quality.
Postharvest practices especially handling and precooling
(notably hydro-cooling) are essential for the removal of field
heat or the reduction in temperature of the cherries following
their harvest. Efficiently designed grading and packaging
machines (during classification and grading) can effectively
reduce quality deterioration of cherries. Research on fresh
cherries is still needed to obtain microbiologically safe
products, keep its nutritional value and sensory quality.
The shelf life has to be enhanced to allow distribution and
marketing. Further research is needed to know about the
processes that rule the physiology and, therefore, limit the
shelf life of fresh produce. Strict temperature control and RH
is required for storage and distribution systems, and MAP
technology is an added feature in preservation of fresh
produce. In designing CA, MA or MAP systems, it would be
prudent to realistically evaluate the time and temperature
conditions that the product will likely encounter along the
postharvest chain, as well as the likelihood of mixed load
conditions. It then will become possible to design systems
such as a combination CA/MAP and other available techni-
ques that can maintain optimum atmospheres and product
quality throughout the postharvest handling chain. In
addition, modelling of the package atmosphere composition,
respiration rate and internal atmospheres in the fruit tissue
throughout storage are of capital importance to design
appropriate packages. Along with physico-chemical analysis,
consumer panels and their preferences at different markets
should be monitored. Further, research on quality of cherries
should also take into consideration the prevention of
nutritional losses as influenced by processing and storage
conditions. Critical evaluation at every step along with
selecting premium product quality should be the key element
of the cherry processing and packaging.
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