Abstract: This study aimed to create a new approach to prolonging the vegetable and fruit shelf life in the cold storage with low light intensity illuminating. Red light diode emitter was used as radiation source. The comparison experiments were made with respect to both the asparagus and the kiwi fruit under the three different conditions, namely the normal temperature storage the ordinary cold storage and the cold storage with the weak light illuminating. Sample hardness, weightlessness loss rate, VC content, chlorophyll content and soluble solid content were tested every two days. The experimental results indicated that the cold storage with weak light illumination can increase the asparagus VC and the kiwi fruit VC content in the early period of storage, prevent the chlorophyll degeneration of asparagus, sustain both the asparagus and the kiwi fruit soluble solid, but show no remarkable effects on both weight loss. Thus it was expected that the cold storage with weak light illumination can become a new cold storage method.

Key words: asparagus, kiwi fruit, weak light illumination, cold storage, keep fresh