4. Conclusion
Continuous exposure of red chilli peppers to ozone at
0.9 lmol mol
1
resulted in significant reduction in disease incidence, reduced weight loss and improved firmness maintenance,
while total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were not
affected. In green chilli peppers, exposure to ozone at
0.9 lmol mol
1
reduced weight loss and shrivelling during storage; firmness maintenance was improved after 10 days of storage.
The skin colour was lighter at all tested doses, but the produce was
still marketable. The application of ozone at 0.9 lmol mol
1
seems
to be a feasible solution for reducing quality loss during the storage
of both red and green chilli peppers, being more suitable for red
chilli peppers.