The Ozonation as Competitive Advantage in Post-Harvest Treatment of Tomato

Abstract

This paper intent to show the competitive advantages created by ozonation treatment in tomatoes during storage logistic postharvest. These advantages have been verified by carrying out a physical-chemical in samples of Deborah tomato varieties from sector vegetable farmer in Porto Velho - RO and a survey of tomato traders in the region. At first, tomatoes were brought to the laboratory of biochemistry at São Lucas College, separated into two groups: a test and a control. Tomatoes from the test group were exposed to a continuous flow of ozone at a concentration of about 1 ppm / vol), 25 ° C ± 3 ° C temperature and 85% ± 10% relative humidity for 24 hours inside a chamber treatment. When compared with tomatoes in the control group (no treatment), the test group lost only 2.28% of its fresh weight against 8.93%, the pH levels and vitamin C were stable during storage; maturation (color) was delayed by two days and at the end of the experiment, 14% of treated tomatoes were shown to be unfit for consumption while 70% of untreated tomatoes had to unsuitable for consumption. According to laboratory results, it was found that the tomato ozonized could offer benefits to traders of the product, because losses were reduced and the gains were 43% higher than the untreated tomatoes.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n1s1p529