Impact of Different Packaging Schemes and Transport Temperature on Post-Harvest Losses and Quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

In this study, two transport methods for tomato (room temperature and refrigerated transport) as well as post-harvest packaging treatments (thin polyethylene packaging bags, thick polyethylene packaging bags, use of 1%calcium chloride, use of absorbent paper in the box, and control) were examined at four stages of post-harvest consumer chain transport. These stages included: (1) Farm, after harvesting and putting in boxes, (2) Transport, after transferring products for wholesale and during discharging, (3) Wholesale, after discharging and when selling to local retailers usually 24-36 hours after harvesting time, and (4) Retail stores (2 days after harvesting time at most). The total acid level, vitamin C, and lycopene of the fruit differed across different farms, different transportation conditions, post-harvest treatments, and the four stages of product transport. The total percentage of unacceptable fruits was significant in post-harvest treatments and at different stages of transport. Among post-harvest treatments, packaging with high-density plastic and absorbent paper with 7.94 and 12.16% of weight loss, respectively, claimed the minimum and maximum physiological loss in fruit weight. The minimum post-harvest loss (4.21 percent) was related to high-density plastic packaging.