Comparison of Pre-Cooling and Storage Processes for Fuji Apple Quality Maintenance using the Decision Support Method

In Brazil the fruit growing is becoming more and more technified, obtaining with this better quality and productivity. As fruit varieties are regionalized and harvested at different times of the year, they need post-harvest conservation techniques to be offered in different regions of the country during the off-season. For these reasons, management of the Cold Chain (CC) logistic process in post-harvest refrigeration and preservation of fruits is the way to overcome these problems. In this context, the research aimed to analyze how the TODIM Method of Multicriteria Decision Support contributes to the process of comparing forced air pre-cooling (24hs) and cold storage (30 Days and 60 Days, CAT1 - 80 and CAT1 - 198) in Normal Atmosphere (NA) and Controlled Atmosphere (CA) 24hs. The methodological procedures adopted were: exploratory and descriptive research, with qualitative approach and field research. In the field research carried out at the Cooperserra cooperative, the following results were identified: (1) feasibility of the implantation of the rapid precooling process to the hydrocooling by immersion proving to be efficient in the application of the system, in relation to the precooling for forced-air cooling in the chamber combined with storage; (2) the management of the Cold Chain (CC) logistic process in the pre-cooling and storage stages maintains the quality of the Fuji apple (Malus Communis). In addition to contributing to academic research, the study corroborated the development of best practices in the management of the Cold Chain (CC) logistics process and commercialization, providing elements for companies to plan the logistics processes incorporating the precooling and storage stages of the Fuji apple (Malus Communis). It was concluded that in the pre-cooling to the cold water, it does not need that the apple stays for 24 hours in the cold chamber to reach the appropriate temperature of 2º C, it was verified that in 25 minutes of cooling the fruit reaches the temperature of 5ºC , maintaining the quality of the fruit and optimizing the energy expenditure of the cold room.