Waxing and Plastic Wraps Influence Water Loss from Papaya Fruit during Storage and Ripening

The effect of waxes and plastic shrink wraps on weight loss from papaya ( Carica papaya L.) fruit during ripening was determined. Loss of ≈8% of initial weight from mature-green papaya produced “rubbery”, low-gloss, unsalable fruit. The rate of weight loss from ripening papaya was ≈0.1% initial weight/day per mbar. The highest rate of weight loss occurred via the stem scar (nearly 3500 mg·cm −2 ·day −1 ) while 4.4 mg·cm −2 ·day −1 was lost through the skin. The major mode of weight loss was the skin because of its larger surface area. The stomata did not appear to function in ripening fruit. The skin's resistance to water movement increased at the start of ripening, then declined with no apparent change in the rate of total water loss. Part of the decline in resistance was associated with the disruption of the cuticle with latex, especially after the 50% ripe stage. These results suggest that the major site of resistance to weight loss changed late in ripening. Fruit waxing reduced weight loss by 14% to 40%, while plastic shrink wraps reduced loss by ≈90%. The loss of water was the major component of weight loss. Some waxes and one wrap delayed ripening by 1 to 2 days at ambient temperatures, after storage for up to 2 weeks at 10C. Occasionally, off-flavors occurred in waxed and wrapped fruit when the fruit cavity CO 2 level exceeded ≈7% at the full-ripe stage.