*3.1. Changes in the Chilling Injury Index and Chilling Injury Incidence*

Hot water-treated fruit and untreated fruit (control) presented CI symptoms and incidence by week 2 and developed continuously with storage time (Figures 1 and 2). Fruit heated at 55 ◦C for 1 min (HWT-1 min) exhibited a delay in the development of CI symptoms and a lower percentage of incidence than HWT-3 min, HWT-5 min, and the control fruit. By 2 weeks of storage, the CI incidence of 60% was shown in HWT-3 min, HWT-5 min, and the control fruit, and it reached 100% in week 3. In week 4, the severity of CI in HWT-1 min fruit was slight (CI index = 2), but damage was moderate to severe (CI index = 4.5–4.8) in control, HWT-3 min, and HWT-5 min fruit.

**Figure 1.** Effect of hot water treatment (55 ◦C for 1, 3, 5 min) on (**A**) chilling injury index and (**B**) chilling injury incidence in red sweet pepper fruit during storage at 10 ◦C. Data represent means ± S.E. (n = 3). Different letters on bars are significantly different (*p* < 0.05).

**Figure 2.** Effect of hot water treatment at 55 ◦C for (**A**) 0 min (control), (**B**) 1 min, (**C**) 3 min, and (**D**) 5 min on virtual symptoms of CI in red sweet pepper fruit during storage at 10 ◦C for 4 weeks (1, 2, 3, 4).
