QUALITATIVE EFFECT OF WRAPPING AND CUSHIONING MATERIALS ON GUAVA FRUITS DURING STORAGE

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of wrapping and cushioning materials on guava (Psidium guajava L.) fruits during storage. Fruits were packed in different wrapping and cushioning materials viz. Tissue paper, Cling wrap, Banana leaves and Teak leaves as wrapping materials, Neem leaves, Rice straw and Bamboo leaves as cushioning materials and control. All the treatments were kept at controlled room temperature (25±2°C), relative humidity (85±5%) in corrugated fibre board (CFB) boxes. The effectiveness of the treatments was assessed in terms of its impact on fruit appearance, weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, ascorbic acid contents and total sugars. It was found that wrapping of fruits with cling wrap showed better result for most of the parameters rating followed by wrapping with teak leaves. In organoleptic ratings fruits wrapped in teak leaves showed better result while poor rating was recorded in cling wraps.