Effects of coatings on storability of carrot under evaporative coolant system.

Four different coatings were developed from the mucilage of Cactus and their effectswere investigated on thequality and storability of carrot fruits. The four experimental coatings were: Pure mucilage extracts (ME), Mucilage extract mixed with 5ml glycerol (MEG), Mucilage extract mixed 5ml soy oil ( MESO), Mucilageextract mixedwith 5ml olive oil (MEOO) theadditionof oil served as plasticizer. The following parameters were measured: weight loss, ascorbic acid content, pH, firmness and microbial qualities. Four hundred and eighty (480) carrots were arranged randomly into five treatments, the control (untreated) and four coating treatments were stored for seven weeks under Evaporative Coolant System (ECS). Prior to storage, the carrot samples were surface sterilized using 100mg/L sodium hypochlorites. Results showed that Cactus mucilage was effective in extending the shelf-life of carrot when compared to untreated control in the following order:MESO MEOO MEG ME Control. Results revealed that coatings hindered the growth of microorganisms significantly (P 0. 05).