The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of modified atmosphere (MA) on postharvest conservation of Suriname cherry harvested in the maturity stages: pigment initiation (PI), red-orangish (RO) and predominant red (PR), and stored at 10, 14 ºC (90 ± 1% RH), and room temperature (23± 2 ºC and 85 ± 2% RH). The use of MA associated with refrigeration resulted in lower mass loss, fungi incidence, and fruit shrinkage. The MA also allowed a four-day increase in postharvest life, maintaining the general quality above acceptance limit during eight days, for Suriname cherries of RO maturity stage, kept under refrigeration. Collectively, Suriname cherries harvested at the maturity stage red-orangish presented the best storage potential, when kept under modified atmosphere at 10 ºC.
Eugenia uniflora; maturity stage; decay; fruit shrinkage; appearance
