SummaryMaintenance of quality in fresh-cut produce is an important issue for the rapidly expanding minimal processing sector. Treatment of ethylene generating and/or sensitive fresh-cut produce with the ethylene-binding inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene may assist in quality maintenance over time. Intact (control) and sliced ‘Golden Delicious’ apple fruit at 20°C were treated either with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) for 6 h at 0.1 to 10 μl l–1 or 1 μl l–1 for periods of 1 to 6 h. Fruit was then kept at either 20°C or 4°C. Exposure of intact or fresh-cut apple fruit to 1-MCP resulted in reduced respiration and ethylene production rates and delayed softening and colour changes. The degree of benefit generally increased with increasing 1-MCP treatment concentration and duration. Compared with untreated tissue, quality was better maintained at 4°C for apple slices to which 1-MCP was applied either before or after the fruit were processed.
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Jiang et al. (2002) studied this question.