Multimetric assessment of packaged strawberry quality under controlled supply chain temperatures

Strawberries are highly perishable, and suboptimal storage and transport conditions reduce final product quality and consumer satisfaction. To investigate temperature-driven changes in postharvest quality, ten postharvest attributes of strawberries were measured (bruising, mold, defect area, calyx appearance, color, respiration, weight, firmness, brix and acid levels, and a calculated overall visual quality (OVQ) score). Quality attributes were measured in commercially packaged strawberries stored at four supply chain-relevant temperatures: 0.5, 5, 10, and 20 °C. The aims of this study were to characterize how strawberry quality attributes change over time and determine which non-destructive, quantitative, methods can be used instead of subjective methods for quality evaluation. We propose an approach to simultaneously visualize and interpret multimetric data. Bruise, mold and defect area scores, softening, and respiration rate (RR) were most impacted over time, with differences emerging sooner at higher temperatures. Color measurements indicated flesh darkening, likely resulting from ripening and bruise damage. Weight loss (WL) and RR rate were strongly correlated with bruise and defect area scores. Logistic (kinetic) models captured change in bruise, defect area, mold, and OVQ scores over time and temperature with high explained variance (R 2 adj : 0.89–0.97). The OVQ score in response to temperature was most similar to bruise score, indicating bruising was the most impacted quality attribute. We propose WL and RR as non-destructive indicators for bruising and defects in the strawberry supply chain and a foundation for commercial-scale quality evaluation/prediction. • Commercial quality evaluation for strawberry currently relies on visual evaluation. • Consistent 0.5 °C storage delayed mold growth up to 15 days, even in bruised fruit. • Multimetric quality evaluation was carried out at four storage temperatures. • Bruising is highly correlated with respiration rate and weight loss. • Respiration rate and weight loss are proposed as part of a future evaluation system.