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Original article
Effects of rind removal on physicochemical quality characteristics of fresh-cut watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb) Matsum & Nakai] during cold storage
Article first published online: 1 OCT 2012
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2012.03195.x
© 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Food Science and Technology © 2012 Institute of Food Science and Technology
Issue
International Journal of Food Science & Technology
Volume 48, Issue 2, pages 357–362, February 2013
Additional Information
How to Cite
Petrou, P., Soteriou, G., Schouten, R. E. and Kyriacou, M. C. (2013), Effects of rind removal on physicochemical quality characteristics of fresh-cut watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb) Matsum & Nakai] during cold storage. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 48: 357–362. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2012.03195.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 15 JAN 2013
- Article first published online: 1 OCT 2012
- Manuscript Accepted: 23 JUL 2012
- Manuscript Received: 3 MAY 2012
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- Colour;
- ethylene;
- firmness;
- fresh-cut;
- juice leakage;
- rind;
- sugars;
- watermelon
Summary
The impact of removing the rind from fresh-cut watermelon slices was assessed on the quality of the product during storage at 4 °C for 9 days. Flesh lycopene declined from 55.4 to 47.9 mg kg−1 f.w. and colour lightness (L*) increased from 43.2 to 45.8 after 2 days of storage. Initial heart and placental flesh firmness increased from 7.3 and 9.8 N, respectively, to 9.5 and 12.8 N after 9 days, but were unaffected by rind processing. Electrolyte leakage from placental tissue was unaffected by storage and rind. Rind presence limited juice run-off by 47.2% and maintained mean total soluble sugar concentration in the slices at 86.0 mg mL−1 as opposed to 76.8 mg mL−1 in rind-less slices. Change in the quality was most pronounced between 0 and 2 day of storage. Removing the rind accelerated senescence and off-flavour production, while the presence of rind improved the overall storage stability of fresh-cut watermelon slices.