Pulse electric field pretreatment delays the texture deterioration of sweet persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) during postharvest storage

Abstract

The food industry is highly concerned with food processing and waste reduction sustainability. Therefore, it is essential to develop new technologies to minimize waste and extend the shelf life of products. In this study, pulsed electric field (PEF) treatments were used at 25, 50, and 100 kV/m to investigate the potential for reducing the postharvest softening of persimmons. The results showed that after storing for 28 days, the firmness loss under 50 kV/m was maintained at 58.40 ± 0.36%, whereas that in the untreated group was 87.6 ± 0.14 %. The mobility of bound water was higher in the 50 kV/m group than in the 25 kV/m and untreated groups. PEF treatment also effectively reduced electrolyte leakage. This research also showed that PEF treatment could help reduce respiration by 12.5–31.22 CO2 mL/h/kg—an effective delay of 50 kV/m for soft rot and texture deterioration. In summary, applying PEF technology was found capable of extending the shelf life of persimmons under refrigeration by up to 14 days compared with the untreated group.