Evaluation of postharvest quality of PDO ‘Citron Santa Maria del Cedro’ under different storage condition and its valorisation in the fresh-cut market

Background: The PDO citrons Cedro di Santa Maria del Cedro are exclusively produced in Calabria (Italy). The fruit and its fragrance are typically used in the cosmetics and candy industries. Despite being highly valued while fresh in salads, to yet no research has been done to assess the citron shelf-life criteria in light of possible entry into the freshcut market as well as in connection to the nutritional and qualitative attributes. Determining the optimal storage settings to to preserve the postharvest quality of whole and sliced citrons was the goal of this work. Methods: Whole fruits were stored at 5, 10, 20 °C in open boxes for two weeks; then, the main postharvest quality traits (visual quality, colour attributes, respiration rate) at 7 and 14 days were evaluated.in order to be used as fresh cut fruits were processed and stored at 5 °C, 90% humidity in controlled atmosphere (CA) of high CO2 (10 O2 and 20% CO2) or in air for 10 days by monitoring microbiological and postharvest parameters. Results: Stored citrons maintained their green peel color longer at 5 °C than at 10 and 20 °C, possibly due to a decreased production of endogenous ethylene; similarly, fruits stored at 20 °C had the highest respiration rate. Additionally, sliced citrons held in CA conditions had a 70% reduced respiration rate and weight loss than samples kept in air. Similar results were found in term of microbial load (TBC and Enterobacteriacee). Conclusions: The study's findings outline the ideal storage settings for citrons to maintain their postharvest quality and shelf life. Additionally, a fresh-cut product was created for the first time to encourage the use of citrons in salads or other dishes combining fresh fruits and vegetables.