The experiment evaluated the effects of carbohydrate-based coatings on the microbiological, physical, physical-chemical and sensory properties of the fresh cut (FC) Formosa papaya stored under refrigeration. After treatment with calcium chloride, peeled and sliced portions of the fruit were immersed in 3.0% rice starch (RS), 0.5% sodium alginate (SA) and 0.25% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) solutions, and stored at 5 ºC and 90% RH. The products were assessed after 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days of storage. The use of the RS, SA and CMC-based coatings for TC papaya resulted in lower total coliform counts than presented by the control sample. The papaya coated with RS and CMC showed decreased and increased respiration rates, respectively. The coated samples showed lower soluble solid contents, with decreased pH values after storage day 9, and the use of CMC as a coating resulted in increased pulp firmness on day 15. Variations in the colour parameters (Luminosity, Hue and Chroma) did not compromise the sensory quality of the TC papaya, and the sensory attributes of the coated samples did not differ from the control samples throughout the 15 days of experimentation. Since most of the positive results were shown on days 12 and 15, and considering the costs of this technology and price of the coatings, for periods of up to 9 days the best option consists of simply sanitizing the fruits, as done with the control samples. If aiming to preserve the shelf life of the papaya slices for a longer period of time (namely, up to 15 days), the above coatings may show satisfactory results so long as the storage conditions described here are accurately reproduced.
Starch; Alginate; Carboxymethylcellulose; Carica papaya L.; Post-harvest
