VATIS UPDATE Article

Fresh-cut peppers are handy for snacking and in reducing meal-preparation time for consumers. But sometimes that freshness is short-lived. However in a study, plant geneticist John Stommel and his research team with the Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, the United States, and food technologist Yaguang (Sunny) Luo with the Food Quality Laboratory, the United States, evaluated a diverse collection of peppers for attributes that prolong the shelf-life of fresh-cut pepper.

“Extensive genetic diversity is present in the Capsicum gene pool, which includes cultivated peppers. This diversity has been utilized to improve pepper disease resistance, fruit quality, and yield,” said Stommel. The fresh-cut fruit and vegetable industry has expanded rapidly during the past decade due to the convenience and nutrition that fresh-cut produce offers to consumers. To help producers respond to the increased demand, the team identified varieties that were resistant to deterioration over 14 days of cold storage.

The team looked at 50 pepper varieties obtained commercially and from the ARS collection –sweet bell, large elongated peppers, jalapeno, and serrano – to find those that can stand up to prolonged cold storage. Fresh-cut sweet bell and elongated peppers exhibited signs of deterioration, such as fluid leakage, after 10 to 14 days of storage, whereas jalapeno and serrano peppers didn’t lose fluids until 14 days of storage.