Handling & Processing
Abstract
A humidity efficient one-pound clamshell was designed for small fruit packaging. Quality attributes and shelf-life of lychee, sweet cherry, strawberry, blueberry, Chinese bayberry, and loquat fruits packaged in the new clamshells and commercial clamshells were compared during storage at 0 °C, 5 °C, 10 °C, and/or 20 °C. Water loss of fruit in the new clamshells decreased by at least 62%, in comparison to commercial clamshells at all storage temperatures. As a result, fruit in the new clamshells had less surface shriveling and flesh softening (cherry, strawberry, and blueberry), stem (cherry) and calyx (strawberry) browning and drying, and pericarp browning (lychee).