Tnompson Seedless and Flame Seedless grClpes were harvested at maturity
stage from a private farm at Cairo-Alex. desert road. Fruits were cooled using ice
inside polyethylene bags to protect them from directly touch with ice. Fruits werel
cooled after 0, 1, 2, 3 hours after harvest or non-cootec (control). Fruits were left
under the shadow of vines until cooled and were transported to the laboratory to be
packed inside perforatedpolyethylene bags (40 mm and 400 halls per m'), and stored
at 0, C and 90:95 % RH for 35 days. Weekly inteNals samples were taken to
determined decay, weight loss, and snaller incidence. berry firmness, bunch
freshness (stem color and dryness, berry appearance). total soluble solids and total
acidity contents were measured and tabulated. Post harvest pre cooling treatments
signifICantly reduced decay, weight loss, shatter. totat spoilage incidence of grapes
during storage. Also, pre cooling treatments had a significant effect on reducing the
softening rate in berry firmness of grapes during storage. Moreover, post harvest pre
cooling treatments had a good effect on totat soluble solids and total acidity contents
of grapes during storage. Moreover, In the most studied parameters were not affected
signifICantly differences among the first three treatments (post harvest pre cootin~
after O. 1, 2 hours from harvest).
These results confirmed that, post harvest pre cooling treatmants have 10 be
done within 2 hours at the maximum delaying period in order to maintain grapes at a
good quality for long distance transportation or long storage period.