The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effects of heat treatments on the quality of apples cv. Fuji. The fruits were immersed for one, two or three minutes in water at 47, 49 or 52ºC. Before the heat treatments, the apples were artificially inoculated with the fungus that causes white rot (Botryosphaeria dothidea). After the heat treatments, the apples were stored in controlled atmosphere (CA) of 1,2-1,6kPa O2 and 0,2-0,4kPa CO2 at 0-1ºC for one, three or five months, and seven days at room temperature. At the end of each storage period the apples were evaluated for flesh firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity and weight loss. CA storage contributed to maintain fruit quality, but did not affect the development of B. dothidea. The heat treatments did not delay flesh firmness losses and had little influence on the TSS contents, however, there was a negative effect of the heat treatments on titratable acidity and weight loss of heat treated apples stored in CA.
Thermotherapy; Malus domestica Borkh.; white rot
