QUALITY AND SENSORY ANALYSIS OF FRESH-CUT MELONS PRETREATED WITH EFFICACIOUS SANITATION TREATMENTS

The objective of this cooperative research project is to assess the quality and shelf-life of treated melons and resulting stored fresh-cut products in Phase II, after the other collaborator groups have settled in on their suite of novel disinfection experimental treatments (Phase I into Phase II). We will use identical protocols derived by the collaborators' labs to disinfect whole fruit and fresh-cut fruit, then perform postharvest quality and trained sensory assessments in shipped and stored whole melons and fresh-cuts stored under idealized regimes. Co-treatments and abuse treatments will be explored in Phase III.