Papaya, being a climac-teric fruit, continues to ripen after harvest and during storage.
The fruit exhibits a characteristic rise in ethylene production which is accompanied by softening, changes in peel and pulp colour and development of a strong aroma.
Although the changes that take place during ripening are impor-tant, uncontrolled ripening process can lead to rapid degradation in quality that contribute to postharvest losses.
Thus, it is important to control the ripening process during storage and distribution in order to maintain fruit quality at the best level possible through to reaching the consumer.