Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Cabai merah merupakan komoditas hortikultura bernilai ekonomi tinggi, namun rentan kerusakan pascapanen akibat tingginya laju respirasi, transpirasi, dan aktivitas mikroorganisme, yang menyebabkan penurunan mutu seperti meningkatnya jumlah bakteri, susut bobot, penurunan kekerasan, perubahan warna, dan berkurangnya kesegaran. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan teknologi penanganan pascapanen efektif, salah satunya ozonisasi yang dikombinasikan dengan penyimpanan suhu ruang dan suhu dingin. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh lama perendaman dan suhu penyimpanan menggunakan sistem ozonisasi terhadap mutu cabai merah (Capsicum annuum L.).
Penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) faktorial dengan dua faktor yaitu suhu penyimpanan suhu ruang (25-30°C) dan suhu dingin (10°C) dan lama perendaman ozon (0, 10, 20, dan 30 menit). Parameter yang diamati meliputi jumlah bakteri, susut bobot, vitamin C, kekerasan, warna, dan uji organoleptik (warna, tekstur, dan kesegaran). Data dianalisis dengan ANOVA dan uji Duncan pada taraf 5%.
Berdasarkan hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perlakuan ozonisasi dan suhu penyimpanan memberikan pengaruh yang berbeda pada setiap parameter mutu cabai merah. Jumlah bakteri menurun seiring dengan bertambahnya lama perendaman ozon, terutama pada penyimpanan dengan suhu dingin, di mana perendaman selama 20 menit menghasilkan jumlah bakteri terendah. Susut bobot cabai meningkat selama penyimpanan, namun peningkatannya lebih rendah pada suhu dingin. Kandungan vitamin C juga cenderung lebih terjaga pada suhu dingin dibandingkan suhu ruang. Kekerasan cabai secara umum menurun selama penyimpanan, meskipun penyimpanan pada suhu dingin menunjukkan kecenderungan mempertahankan tekstur lebih baik. Warna cabai mengalami perubahan akibat proses pematangan, namun hasil uji organoleptik mengindikasikan bahwa warna, tekstur, dan kesegaran cabai masih dapat diterima oleh panelis hingga hari ke-9.
Berdasarkan hasil analisis sidik ragam, lama perendaman ozon memberikan pengaruh nyata terhadap jumlah bakteri, dan susut bobot, tetapi tidak memberikan pengaruh nyata terhadap kadar vitamin C, kekerasan dan warna, kemudian suhu penyimpanan memberikan pengaruh nyata terhadap jumlah bakteri, susut bobot, dan vitamin C cabai merah, tetapi tidak memberikan pengaruh nyata terhadap kekerasan dan warna. Interaksi antara lama perendaman ozon dan suhu penyimpanan memberikan pengaruh nyata terhadap jumlah bakteri dan susut bobot tetapi tidak memberikan pengaruh nyata terhadap vitamin C, kekerasan, dan warna. Parameter organoleptik warna, tekstur dan kesegaran tidak dapat dianalisis lebih lanjut menggunakan analisis sidik ragam karena data tidak berdistribusi normal, sehingga tidak memenuhi asumsi normalitas.

Red chili is a high-value horticultural commodity; however, it is susceptible to postharvest deterioration driven by high rates of respiration, transpiration, and microbial activity. These processes lead to quality degradation, including increased bacterial counts, weight loss, reduced firmness, color changes, and loss of freshness. Therefore, effective postharvest handling technologies—such as ozonation combined with room-temperature or cold storage—are required. This study aimed to determine the effects of ozone immersion duration and storage temperature on the quality of red chili (*Capsicum annuum* L.). The study employed a factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) involving two factors: storage temperature (room temperature [25–30°C] and cold temperature [10°C]) and ozone immersion duration (0, 10, 20, and 30 minutes). Observed parameters included bacterial count, weight loss, vitamin C content, firmness, color, and organoleptic properties (color, texture, and freshness). Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan's test at a 5% significance level. The results indicated that ozonation treatment and storage temperature significantly affected red chili quality parameters. Bacterial counts decreased as the ozone immersion duration increased, particularly under cold storage conditions, where a 20-minute immersion yielded the lowest bacterial count. Weight loss increased during storage, although the rate of loss was lower at cold temperatures. Vitamin C content was also better preserved at cold temperatures compared to room temperature. Although chili firmness generally declined during storage, cold storage tended to be more effective at maintaining texture. Chili color changed due to the ripening process; however, organoleptic test results showed that color, texture, and freshness remained acceptable to panelists up to the ninth day of storage. Based on analysis of variance, the duration of ozone immersion had a significant effect on bacterial count and weight loss but did not significantly affect vitamin C content, firmness, or color; meanwhile, storage temperature significantly affected bacterial count, weight loss, and vitamin C content in red chili peppers but did not significantly affect firmness or color. The interaction between ozone immersion duration and storage temperature significantly affected bacterial count and weight loss but did not significantly affect vitamin C content, firmness, or color. Organoleptic parameters—specifically color, texture, and freshness—could not be further analyzed using analysis of variance because the data were not normally distributed and thus failed to meet the assumption of normality.