RESEARCH IN OTHER AREAS 

 NEW OVERWRAPPED TRAYS FOR MCINTOSH APPLES 



William J. Bramlage 

 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



Mcintosh apples are very easily bruised, and it is not uncommon to 

 find packages of badly bruised fruit on the market shelf. A package 

 that will protect the fruit from rough or careless handling is badly 

 needed for this variety. 



In a recent study, a new molded-pulp, high-post tray with a poly- 

 vinyl-chloride shrink-film overwrap was evaluated against conventional 

 3 -pound polyethylene bags and 6 -fruit trays with shrink-film overwraps 

 by R. T. Hinsch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 



Mcintosh apples were packed in commercial packing houses in Michigan 

 and truck shipments were made to Cleveland and distributed to several 

 retail food stores. Examination in these stores showed that 7% of the 

 apples in the high-post trays were bruised, in contrast with 78% in the 

 polyethylene bags and 50% in the trays. Furthermore, none of the apples 

 in the high-post trays had serious bruises, while 25% of those in poly- 

 ethylene bags and 3% of those in trays were seriously bruised. 



The cost of the packaging materials and direct labor per pound of 

 apples was 1.6 cents for the polyethylene bag, 3 cents for the high -post 

 tray, and 3.3 cents for the 6 -fruit tray. 



These data are found in the publication ARS 52-16, "New Overwrapped 

 Trays for Mcintosh Apples," available from the Office of Information, 

 USDA, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



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A NEW PUBLICATION AVAILABLE 



Watercore, a non -parasitic disorder of apples, is a problem of 

 yearly concern to growers in New England. Its presence has a two-fold 

 effect on fruit quality; not only does it affect appearance and flavor 

 of the apple, but it also frequently leads to internal breakdown follow- 

 ing harvest. U.S. Apple Standards require that U.S. No. 1 or U.S. Fancy 

 fruit be free of watercore damage after January 31, and when 3 or more 

 vascular -bundle areas are affected with watercore, the apple is consid- 

 ered to be damaged. For U.S. Extra Fancy, no trace of watercore is 

 allowed after January 31. A grower thus may incur substantial losses 

 from watercore through both downgrading of sound fruit and development 

 of internal breakdown. 



Therefore, a publication entitled "Watercore and Internal Breakdown 

 in Delicious Apples" has been prepared by W.J. Bramlage and W.J. Lord to 



