Assessment of physico‐chemical and sensory properties of two date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars under commercial cold storage conditions

Majhoul and Boufeggous date fruits, commonly grown in oases of Southern east Morocco, are widely consumed after post‐harvest season. Due to the perishability of date fruits, there is a need to extending their shelf life through cold storage. This study aimed to evaluate total soluble solids (TSS) content, moisture, acidity, color, firmness, as well as sensory attributes at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 5 months of cold storage for Majhoul and Boufeggous. Significant variations (p ≤ .05) in physico‐chemical attributes were observed during cold storage, but the two varieties did not behave similarly. The variation was more pronounced for Majhoul, especially for TSS, acidity, and Hunter‐color. Regarding sensory analysis, the stored samples were found to be less acceptable (p ≤ .05) with respect to mouthfeel, appearance, and color. Results obtained herein suggested that commercial cold storage (between +2°C and +4°C) should be seriously improved in order to retain overall quality of date fruits. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In the season of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) harvest, production exceeds the market demand. Thus, most farmers store their production into cold stores in order to preserve intrinsic quality of the fruit until releasing into the market. This study will add current knowledge to the storage of date fruit and will provide an in depth insight on how cold storage can affect the acceptability of stored date fruits by consumers.