ZORAN S. ILIĆ, LJUBOMIR ŠUNIĆ

The main goal of this research was to evaluate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in “bag-in box” with two type Xtend® films: microperforated films (XF1) and macroperforated films (XF2) compared to perforated polyethylene (PE) liner as control, on quality parameters and antioxidant activities of mini sweet peppers fruits (Capsicum annuum subsp microcarpum) (Tinkerbell green, Sweetbite orange and Tinkerbell red) during 14 d storage at 7 °C plus 3 d at 20 °C (shelf life). Concentration of CO2 in the XF1 packaging increased to 1.8-2.2% at 7 °C storage, and further to 4.7–5.0% at the additional shelf-life at 20 o C. This treatment also retarded ripening, senescence, and post harvest decay. This study confirms that mini sweet peppers possess significant amounts of antioxidant activity (AA), which may be maintained during storage. Genetic differences appeared to be responsible for some of the quality differences between the three cultivars. The results show that packing mini sweet pepper fruits in XF1 microperforated films for bulk packaging can be used for long-distance shipments.