Purpose-A major challenge facing the fresh-cut industry is maintaining and preserving the quality of minimally processed or fresh-cut produce. A low temperature regime, although insufficient, has been the main method of overcoming this challenge so far. Thus, methods preserving the quality and extending the shell life of minimally processed or fresh-cut produce are needed. This paper seeks to propose that honey could be used to preserve the fresh-like quality of minimally processed pomegranate arils and extend their shelf life. Design/methodology/approach-Manually extracted pomegranate arils were treated with water as control, 10 or 20 per cent diluted honey solution each for five minutes, then held at 48C for ten days. Changes in organoleptic and visual quality, softening, soluble solids content, pH, absorbance at 446 and 510nm, and total aerobic count were recorded during the ten-day storage period. Findings-The study found that honey solution dip treatments extended the fresh-like quality of minimally processed arils by delaying quality loss, microbial development, and pigment changes. Practical implications-The paper shows that honey dip treatment may be used, depending on commodity, to preserve quality and extend the shelf life of minimally processed or fresh-cut produce in the food-processing industry. Originality/value-The study pays particular attention to minimally processed pomegranate arils, by adapting a potentially safe organic method, the use of honey dips.

Ripe persimmon fruit (Diospyros kaki L) cv. “Hachiya” were diced, then treated with 10–20% w/v diluted honey solution or water as the control, followed by cold storage at 4C until loss of acceptable quality. The persimmon cubes were subject to assessments during the storage of organoleptic and visual quality, softness and exuding juice, soluble solids content (SSC), and absorbance at 436, 440, 675 and 760 nm, respectively. Honey treatments prevented off‐aroma development and delayed jelling. Softness and exuding juice of the fresh‐cut persimmon cubes increased with time, with the increase in both parameters being significantly suppressed by honey solution dips. Changes in SSC, pH and the absorbance at 436, 440, 675 and 760 nm, respectively, during storage were minor and there was little effect of the honey treatments on these parameters. Overall, the shelf life of fresh‐cut persimmon cubes was extended by honey solution dips, which delayed off‐aroma development, firmness loss and jelling. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS New products and changing trends make today's food marketplace alive, and fresh‐cut fruits and vegetables seem to be on top of list of these products. Although fresh‐cut produce has been on the market for a long time, preserving their quality attributes has not been completely successful especially in the case of fruit. This study focuses on a new alternative fresh‐cut produce, fresh‐cut persimmon, with adapting a potentially safe organic method, use of honey dips. The present study demonstrated that honey solution dip treatments could preserve the fresh‐like quality of typical flavor or aroma of persimmon fruit by causing no changes in aroma and taste attributes and extending shelf life. Therefore, honey dip treatment may be used, depending on commodity, to preserve and extend shelf life of fresh‐cut produce in fresh‐cut processing industry.

-The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of prohexadione calcium concentrations on the growth and quality of eggplant (Solanum melongena) seedlings. The effects of prohexadione calcium concentrations of 0, 50, 100, or 150 mg L -1 on seedling growth parameters were evaluated in a greenhouse experiment. After the greenhouse experiment, the seedlings were transplanted to the field. During the field experiment, the number of days to flowering, plant height, number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight and yield were evaluated. Both experiments were carried out in a completely randomized design with four replicates. All prohexadione calcium concentrations significantly reduced shoot height and internode length, when compared to the control. The concentrations of 50, 100, and 150 mg L -1 prohexadione calcium reduced shoot height by 27, 32, and 38%, respectively. Prohexadione calcium treatments (except the one with 50 mg L -1 ) enhanced relative chlorophyll content of leaves in comparison to the control. There were no delays in flowering and no significant differences in number of fruits per plant among treatments with prohexadione calcium. The concentrations of 100 and 150 mg L -1 prohexadione calcium significantly reduced yield per plant and total fruit yield, whereas the concentration of 50 mg L -1 did not cause any change in yield compared to the control. The lowest prohexadione calcium concentration can be used to control excessive elongation of eggplant seedlings without yield loss.Index terms: Solanum melongena, growth retardant, seedling height control. Prohexadiona de cálcio sobre o crescimento e a qualidade de mudas de berinjelaResumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da aplicação de prohexadiona de cálcio no crescimento e na qualidade de mudas de berinjela (Solanum melongena). Os efeitos das concentrações de 0, 50, 100 ou 150 mg L -1 de prohexadiona de cálcio nos parâmetros de crescimento de mudas foram avaliados em experimento em casa de vegetação. Após a avaliação em casa de vegetação, as plântulas foram transplantadas para o campo. No experimento em campo, foram avaliados número de dias para o florescimento, altura de plantas, número de frutos por planta, peso médio e produtividade dos frutos. Ambos os experimentos foram realizados em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições. Todas as concentrações de prohexadiona de cálcio reduziram significativamente a altura da parte aérea e o comprimento dos entrenós, em comparação ao controle. As concentrações de 50, 100 e 150 mg L -1 de prohexadiona de cálcio reduziram a altura da parte aérea em 27, 32 e 38%, respectivamente. Os tratamentos com prohexadiona de cálcio (exceto o de 50 mg L -1 ) aumentaram o teor de clorofila na folha, em relação ao controle. Não foram observados atrasos na floração nem diferenças significativas no número de frutos por planta entre os tratamentos com prohexadiona de cálcio. As concentrações de 100 e 150 mg L -1 de prohexadiona de cálcio reduziram a produção por planta e o ...

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aims</strong>: The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether some midseason table grape cultivars and types can be used as minimally processed produce and to investigate the negative effects of minimal processing on the quality of the table grapes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods and results</strong>: Changes in quality losses as defects, weight loss, soluble solids, titratable acidity and pH by minimally processed 13 cultivars and 4 types were recorded during a 10-day storage period at 4 °C. Browning on the stem end was the major defect followed by collapse on the stem end, decay both on the stem end and on the berry surface, and splitting on the berry surface. Big Perlon, Hatun Parmagi and Ribol among the cultivars/types were found be less prone to defects after minimal processing and storing at 4 °C.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion</strong>: The defects or problems which minimally processed table grapes most likely to face are collapse, browning and decay on the stem end, and splitting and decay on the berry surface. The quality losses in Big Perlon, Hatun Parmagi and Ribol cultivars with a very large berry size were lower than other 14 cultivars/types after 10 days, suggesting that berry size is very important attribute for choosing table grape cultivars as minimally processed produce.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Significance and impact of study</strong>: The study involving 13 cultivars and 4 types with different colored skin, berry sizes and types presents reliable information of suitability of the grapes for fresh-cut produce. Furthermore, the quality assessment used for this study provides a very detailed clarification what kind of problems minimally processed table grapes might face.</p>

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