The storage temperature and RH also influenced the movement and absorption of SO2 in the fruit, while higher storage temperatures with low RH favoured the build-up of SO2 residues in the aril (Lemmer and Kruger, 2000). The time lapses between harvesting and fumigation also influenced the SO2 residue build-up in the aril (Lemmer and Kruger, 2000). It is also evident from the investigations that as the time lapse increased, the SO2 residues also increased. In the case of the 10 h and 18 h regimes, unacceptably high values were obtained in the aril after 25 days of cold storage (Lemmer and Kruger, 2000). At 3 h regime, the residue was within the 10 ppm limit (Lemmer and Kruger, 2000). Therefore, it is clearly evident that the time lapse between harvesting and fumigation must be kept to a minimum. All these undesirable effects of SO2 fumigation have necessitated the development of alternative postharvest treatments to maintain overall quality during storage and transportation. After SO2 fumigation, Penicillium spp. can become a major problem in the litchi export industry (Jiang et al., 2003). It is also known that SO2 fumigation affects the natural ecological balance and enhances decay due to saprophytic postharvest colonisation of Penicillium spp.