Impact of Whole-Fruit Storage Conditions on the Quality of Minimally Processed Pears

The shelf life of minimally processed fresh (MPF) pears is affected by raw material characteristics and production factors. This study evaluated the effect of raw material storage (3 months in regular atmosphere [RA], 3 and 6 months in controlled atmosphere [CA]) on the organoleptic and functional quality of MPF pears packaged in polypropylene (PP) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) for 0, 10, and 15 days at 0 °C. Wedges from 3-month CA showed the lowest respiratory activity (about 8.31 mg CO₂ kg^-1 h^-1), and those from 6-mounth CA maintained higher firmness after 15 days. Lightness decreased during storage, less so in harvest samples, which also showed less browning. Nevertheless, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity increased fivefold after 15 days. Total polyphenol content decreased by about 50% during storage. Wedges in PP packaging exhibited higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC) measured by DPPH than those in LDPE (15.55 and 13.77 mg EAA 100 g^-1 FW, respectively). In both, the contents were reduced after 15 days (15-38%). No differences in TAC were observed in the FRAP assay, where values remained unchanged. Significant correlations between PPO activity, TAC, and color variables suggest ongoing oxidative processes. In contrast to the effect of raw material storage, the type of packaging did not significantly affect any of the measured variables.