POST-HARVEST QUALITY MELON IN DIFFERENT CUTS FOR MINIMAL PROCESSING

The production of melon (Cucumis melo L.) is one of the most produced fruits in Brazil, particularly in the Northeast region, which accounts for more than 90% of the country's production. Minimally processed foods have a competitive advantage in the market, in line with consumer trends, which value products with 'natural', 'pure' and 'additive-free' labeling". This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different minimum processing methods for the commercialization of 'Amarelo' melon (slices with rind, slices without rind and pulp in cubes) kept refrigerated in a chamber at 15°C for four days. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with four replications, adopting the split-plot scheme. The plots consisted of the different cutoffs for the minimum processing, while the subplots represented the time intervals established for the evaluations of the variables under study. Characteristics associated with color, such as luminosity, hueº angle and chroma, were analyzed daily, using the Konica Minolta colorimeter model Chroma meter CR-400, configured in the L*, a* and b system, and fresh mass loss, considering the difference in mass in each evaluation interval. There was an interaction between the factors loss of fresh mass and the types of cuts used in the minimum processing (p<0.05). However, the variables luminosity, hueº angle and chroma did not show significant difference between the types of cut during storage. The loss of fresh mass was more pronounced in the peeled and cubed fruits, showing a gradual increase over the four days. The fruits with peel demonstrated less loss of fresh mass over the days; this difference may be directly related to the function of the peel as a barrier against water loss. The Hueº angle remained stable at around 90°, indicating a uniform yellow tone, a desirable characteristic in ripe melons. The stability of this variable suggests that there was no significant degradation of pigments during storage, which is positive from a commercial and sensory perspective. It is concluded that the treatment with peel was the one that maintained the greatest stability throughout the storage period, given the constancy of the studied variables, visually appearing to have better freshness, shine, uniform tone, and better tissue turgidity.