Post-Harvest Quality of Red Bell Pepper: Effect of Ozonized Mist and Protective Film

This study investigated the effectiveness of ozonised mist and protective film (low-density polyethylene - LDPE) in preserving red peppers during storage. Ozonised mist was applied at 20.10 mg L-¹ and 2.0 L min-¹ for 5, 10 and 15 min, with and without protective film, and compared with untreated controls and chlorine treatment. Stored for 21 days at 25 °C and 60% relative humidity, peppers treated with ozonised mist showed significant reductions in total molds and yeasts counts, with the 15-minute treatment achieving reductions of 4.00 logs for molds and 4.34 logs for yeast, surpassing the chlorine treatment. The protective film effectively minimised weight loss and maintained the commercial appearance of the bell peppers. Importantly, the combination of ozonised mist and protective film did not significantly affect the physico-chemical quality of the bell peppers. These results suggest that ozonised mist and protective film are effective in reducing post-harvest losses of bell peppers, with practical benefits for the storage sector.