Abstract
Freshly harvested mature tomato fruits were treated with different concentrations of potassium permanganate to evaluate their effect on color and texture of the fruits. This was to determine the degree of acceptability and shelf life of the tomatoes. Fifty grams of mature unripe tomato fruits was washed and weighed into a transparent plastic container containing different concentrations of potassium permanganate (control, 2.5 ppm, 5.0 ppm, 7.5 ppm. 10.0 ppm, 12.5 ppm, and 15.0 ppm). The experiment was carried out in a complete randomized design and replicated four times. All the treatments were refrigerated at a temperature range 14–18°C and a sensory assessment of color and textural changes was carried out through a team of selected panelists using the hedonic scale ranking to determine the degree of acceptability. Results obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance DMRT at 5% level of probability and least significant difference (LSD). Results obtained indicated that 7.5 ppm of potassium permanganate had a preservative effect on color and texture of refrigerated tomatoes. Therefore, the tomatoes were of acceptable color and texture for a period of 21 days as revealed in the result. Color quality had a mean score of 1.64 and texture ranking was 1.73 after 3 weeks of storage.
Highlights
Tomatoes constitute a source of vitamins and minerals in the human diet and have become one of the major vegetable crops cultivated
Most of the tomatoes cultivated are lost as a result of poor preservative measures especially in developing countries like Nigeria
The quality and nutritional value of fresh produce like Tomatoes is affected by postharvest handling and storage conditions (Sablaini, Opara, & Al-Balushi, 2006)
Summary
Tomatoes constitute a source of vitamins and minerals in the human diet and have become one of the major vegetable crops cultivated. Inadequate preservative method, and poor handling processes during transportation and distribution have contributed substantially to food losses in Nigeria. Developing methods, processes, and measures that will extend the shelf life of highly perishable crops like tomatoes have become imperative if food security will be achieved in Africa. Postharvest loss of tomatoes in Nigeria is estimated to be about 40% annually (Okunoya, 1996) During postharvest storage of fruits and vegetables ethylene can induce effects such as senescence, over ripening, and accumulated quality loss (Martinez-Romero, Bailen, Serrano, Guillen, & Valverde, 2007). This study will evaluate the effectiveness of potassium permanganate in extending the shelf life of tomatoes in a form that is wholesome and acceptable to the consumers in terms of color and texture perception
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