Mandar in flavor quality often declines during storage but the respective contributions to the flavor disorder of warm versus cold temperature during storage were unknown. To determine this ‘W. Murcott Afourer’ mandarins were stored for either 6 weeks at a continuous 5 C or held at 20 C for either 1 or 2
weeks following 0, 2 or 4 weeks of 5
throughout 20 C storage. Sensory quality as measured by likeability was maintained
the 6 week storage when the fruit were kept at 5 C, but rapidly declined upon moving fruit to C. Flavor loss increased as the duration of cold storage prior to the warm temperature holding period was lengthened. The beneficial effect of maintaining mandarins in cold storage was also observed in three of the five other varieties where there was flavor quality loss during storage at a warmer temperature.Soluble solids
concentration (SSC) and titratable acidity (TA) were relatively unchanged by holding at
20C, but aroma volatiles, with alcohols and ethyl esters being of the greatest importance, were greatly enhanced in concentration and are the likely cause of the off-flavor. The increases in aroma volatile concentration were apparent within one day of holding the fruit at 20 C, indicating the need to carefully controlpostharvest storage temperatures. A comparison of 5, 10 and 20 C holding indicated that it is
only at 20 C that aroma volatiles contributing to off-flavor accumulated. This study suggests that it may be possible in many mandarin varieties to prevent losses in flavor quality by maintaining the fruit at a cold temperature (5–10 C) following packing and until the time of consumption.