SOME EFFECTS OF PACKAGING AND MERCHANDISING 
ON THE QUALITY OF McINTOSH APPLES 
IN NEW YORK CITY 
By Michael J. Ceponis and Jacob Kaufman 
Horticultural Crops Branch, Market Quality Research Division, 
Agricultural Marketing Service 
SUMMARY 
In a comparison of four different packages, cell cartons gave the most protection to 
McIntosh apples from rough treatment in transit to New. York City from packinghouses 
80 to 100 miles away. 
Apples prepackaged in trays with heat-shrinkable film, overwrapped and packed in 
cartons, were next best protected, The weakness of the tray-separating partition was the 
major failing of this otherwise very satisfactory pack. 
The rough transit treatment caused considerable bruising and puncture damage on 
fruit prepackaged in polyethylene bags. The worst damage occurred on fruit in jumble- 
filled cartons, 
The condition of the fruit in polyethylene bags, in shrink-film overwrapped trays, 
and from cell packs was compared in New York City supermarkets during 1- to 2-day 
retail test periods, In the stores, the quality of McIntosh apples was maintained best in 
prepackaged trays overwrapped with shrink-film, Apples in the trays had fewer bruises 
and punctures and, when held 4 days at 70 F. beyond the retail period, less than 1 per- 
cent decayed. 
The merchandising of the fruit from cell cartons in bulk, the usual commercial 
practice, resulted in the bruising and puncturing of many fruit during the retail test 
period, 
Prepackaged poly-bagged fruit sustained the most mechanical injury from the hand- 
ling encountered in retail stores, 
The holding of poly-bagged and bulk-displayed fruit 4 days at 70° past the retail 
period brought on the development of many decays at the sites of punctures, 
BACKGROUND 
Despite recent improvements in the handling of apples in the orchard (8), in the 
packinghouse (1, 3,6), and during shipment to market (5,9), mechanical injury continues 
to be the major problem in the merchandising of McIntosh apples.? Surveys in several 
States (2,5, 7), disclosed that the inferior condition of McIntosh apples in retail stores is 
due chiefly to punctures and bruises. It was found that much of this damage occurs after 
the apples leave the packinghouse, Good condition in apples when packaged can virtually 
disappear overnight, sometimes before the fruit reaches the retail shelves. In addition, 
mechanically damaged fruit is particularly susceptible to decay. 
* underscored figures in parentheses refer to Literature Cited, p. 9. 
kc er 
