Enhancing the Postharvest Stability of Hass Avocado Through Vacuum Impregnation with Antioxidants

This study assessed the effect of vacuum impregnation with antioxidants on the postharvest quality of Hass avocados. Fruits were treated with 1% calcium lactate + 1% ascorbic acid (T1) or 1% calcium lactate + 1% citric acid (T2), under 1 bar for 30 s, and compared with untreated controls. Physicochemical properties, enzymatic activity, color, texture, and sensory quality were monitored during 18 days at 12 °C (±1). Both treatments reduced weight and firmness loss, inhibited polyphenol oxidase activity, and delayed browning. Shelf life was extended to ~9.4 days (T1) and ~10.1 days (T2) compared with 6.99 days in controls. These results show that vacuum impregnation with organic acids moderately improves avocado preservation under refrigerated storage.