Calcium Ascorbate Coating Improves Postharvest Quality and Storability of Fresh-Cut Slices of Coscia and Abate Fétel Pears (Pyrus communis L.)

Flesh firmness is closely related to fruit ripeness and is typically a reliable indicator of shelf-life potential so it could be considered a crucial quality index for the determination of pear quality. Flesh softening after cutting could considerably affect consumer acceptance of fresh-cut pears (Pyrus communis L.). Indeed, mechanical stress (cutting, peeling, etc.) could lead to ethylene production that results in the hydrolysis of pectic substances in the cell walls. The effectiveness of an edible coating treatment on the physical-chemical, nutraceutical, and sensorial analysis was evaluated on two pear cultivars: the summer-ripening ‘Coscia’ and the late-ripening ‘Abat…