Phytosanitary Irradiation Preserves the Quality of Fresh Blueberries and Grapes during Storage

Abstract

<jats:p>The objective of this study was to monitor the effects of irradiation on the quality of blueberries and grapes treated at phytosanitary dose levels. Blueberry varieties ‘Star’, ‘Jewel’, and ‘Snowchaser’ and grape varieties ‘Sugraone’ and ‘Crimson Seedless’ were irradiated at a target dose of 400 Gy (range of 400–590 Gy for blueberries and 400–500 Gy for grapes) and stored for 3 and 18 days under refrigeration, plus 3 days at ambient temperatures and evaluated for quality. Storage affected quality of both fruit more than irradiation treatment and there were significant differences among varieties. Irradiated ‘Star’ blueberries maintained their firmness and sensory scores and resisted decay. Alternatively, irradiated ‘Jewel’ blueberries decreased in firmness but sensory scores for overall liking were higher than the control following 3 weeks of storage. ‘Snowchaser’ blueberries were harvested late in the blueberry season and were not as affected by treatment or time due to their initial compromised nature. Firmness was the primary attribute affected by irradiation for both varieties of grapes, but sensory testing showed that consumers did not have a preference for control or irradiated fruit. With respect to other attributes such as color, weight loss, and soluble solids concentration (SSC)/titratable acidity (TA), there were differences among fruit varieties but treatment effects were not significant. Our results show that both, blueberries and grapes, have a high tolerance for phytosanitary irradiation and that storage affects their quality more than irradiation treatment.</jats:p>