The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of two types of cutting (manual and mechanic) on the physical-chemical and microbiological characteristics of processed and refrigerated 'Cantaloupe' melon. The fruits in the appropriate stage of ripening were selected, washed, sanitized (200ppm of active chlorine/2 minutes) and processed in agreement with types of cutting. The fruits used for the mechanical cutting were cutting in peeling machine and after at retreat of the seeds, submitted to the cutting with aid of cutting machine. The fruits destined at manual cutting were peeled and cut with aid of knives, immerged in chlorinated water (20 mg.L-1 of active chlorine) for 30 seconds) and conditioned in PET flexible packing, stored at 4°C ± 1°C and were carried out each three days during 15 days. At the end of the experiments it was concluded that for the minimally processed of 'Cantaloupe' melon, the manually cutting was the more indicated method, since it presented the best stability of characteristics concerning to color, firmness, pH, moisture and microbiological counting during storage.
Cucumis melo L.; minimally processed; manually cutting; mechanic cutting
