Meat browning
Meat tan or pulp tan is a metabolic disorder in pome fruit - especially apples and quinces .
Damage
The pulp inside the fruit has a brownish discoloration, whereby the discoloration can be limited to individual areas or the entire pulp, e.g. T. from the shell to the core , concerns. The discoloration itself can vary in strength - from a slight brownish discoloration to a deep brown pulp. Most of the time, the discoloration is only noticeable when the fruit is cut open or bitten; in severe cases, the brownish discoloration (in light areas of the skin) is already visible from the outside.
The discoloration often only occurs when the fruit is stored and increases with increasing storage time.
root cause
The cause of meat browning is the leakage of juice (from destroyed cells of the pulp) into the pulp, where it turns brown due to the ingress of oxygen.
There are numerous reasons for the appearance of meat browning. B. a nitrogen surplus or calcium deficiency in the soil, harvesting too late (if temperatures have been too low in the meantime), unfavorable humidity etc.
The prevention of meat browning is an important factor in commercial storage (avoidance of too cold storage especially in CA warehouses ) or in the (refrigerated) transport of fruit, e.g. B. in containers .
The result is very similar to the pulp browning when fruit freezes slightly (during storage). Ice crystals form and destroy cells of the pulp. After the ice crystals have thawed, the leaked juice turns the pulp brown.
Effects
The meat browning is not harmful to health and the fruits can be used. If it becomes more discolored, however, it can no longer be used as a dessert fruit - however, processing of the fruit is still possible.
Countermeasures
An improvement in the site conditions with regard to water supply and fertilization and, if necessary, an early harvest come into question.
When storing and transporting fruits, care must be taken to ensure that the correct conditions are met.