The use of polymeric film wraps and waxing of papaya have been successful in retarding color development and water loss before fungal decay becomes the limiting factor (Paull and Chen, 1989). Fruit waxing reduced weight loss of papaya by 14 to 40%, while plastic shrink-wraps reduced it by about 90% (Paull and Chen, 1989). Significantly reduced weight loss were also reported by Maharaj (1988) with papaya cultivar ‘Tainug No.1’ using plastic film wrap when compared to similarly stored, waxed fruit. Such fruit packed in plastic film exhibited good storage potential for up to 29 days compared with untreated fruit, which were generally unacceptable after 17 days at 16°C.
Seal packaging is reported to modify both internal O2 and external (in package) atmospheres. A substantial reduction in internal O2 and a concomitant decrease in internal ethylene concentration appeared to be instru-mental in delaying the ripening of sealed fruit (Lazan et al., 1990). Occasionally, off-flavors developed in waxed and wrapped fruits when the fruit cavity CO2 level exceeded about 7% at the full ripe stage (Sankat and Maharaj, 2001).
Packaging fruits is one of the most commonly used post-harvest practice that puts them into unitized volumes which are easy to handle while also protecting them from hazards of transportation and storage (Burdon, 1997). Modified atmosphere packaging for storage and trans-portation of fruits and vegetables is commonly achieved by packing them in plastic films. Storage in plastic films with different kinds of combinations of materials, perforation and inclusions of chemicals and individual seal packaging are types of modified atmosphere storage (Burdon, 1997; Irtwange, 2006).