Utilization of perforated zipper-lock packaging bags to improve the quality of stem-on and stem-free ‘Chelan’ and ‘Lapins’ sweet cherries during the storage and marketing periods

In the current domestic market, improper packaging systems cause a significant amount of food loss and waste of sweet cherry fruit from the packinghouse to the table. The purpose of this study was to assess whether reducing the commercial zipper-lock bags' perforation ratio (PR) from 2% to 0.5% or 0.05% had the potential to improve the quality and resistance to postharvest disorders of stem-on (SO) and stem-free (SF) ‘Chelan’ and ‘Lapins’ cherries during a series of 14 days at 0°C, 2 days at 10°C and 2 days at 20°C (the storage and marketing periods). Regardless of whether the stem was attached to the fruit, reducing PR from 2% to 0.5% or 0.05% resulted in a high relative humidity, an increased CO₂ with a decreased O₂ in bags and reduced weight loss of fruit and stems in both cultivars during the entire storage and marketing periods; furthermore, higher fruit firmness, skin brightness and stem green color with lower rates of surface pitting and stem browning and relative leakage of stems were observed in either SO or SF of ‘Chelan’ and ‘Lapins’ cherries packaged with 0.5% and 0.05% PR bags compared to 100 (air) and 2% PR-treated cherries. However, the 0.05% PR packaging system retained a significant amount of condensation water in the bag; as a result, the decay incidence of SF cherries statistically increased. Overall, packing SO and SF ‘Chelan’ and ‘Lapins’ cherries in bags with a 0.5% PR provided great benefits in delaying weight loss and pathogen infection and maintaining the high eating and storage quality during the storage and marketing periods.