The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of maturation stage, temperature and exposure time on the incidence of chilling injury (CI) in red mombin fruit. For the evaluation of the less susceptible maturation stage to CI, fruits were harvested at breaker (B), pigment initiation (PI), and yellow predominant (YP) stages and exposed to temperature of 9.5 ºC, 10.5 ºC, and 14.5 ºC, during 1, 3, and 5 days. For the evaluation of CI development in fruits at YP stage, ten temperatures ranging from 5 ºC to 14.5 ºC, were tested. For fruits at B stage, irreversible CI symptoms were present at 14.5 ºC, after 3 days, while for PI stage these symptoms were severe after 5 days. For the YP stage, no CI symptom was detected between 9.5 ºC and 14.5 ºC. The YP stage presented a light CI index at 9 ºC, after 5 days. The low temperature sensitivity and CI occurrence in red mombin fruit were dependent on maturation stage. The YP stage presented the best adaptation to low temperatures and 9.5 ºC was the limit temperature at which red mombin fruit could be stored without CI risk.
Maturation stage; refrigeration; postharvest
