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Influence of oxygen concentration and temperature on respiratory characteristics of fresh‐cut green onion
Author(s) -
Hong SeokIn,
Kim DongMan
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
international journal of food science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.831
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1365-2621
pISSN - 0950-5423
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2621.2001.00456.x
Subject(s) - respiration , chemistry , respiratory quotient , respiration rate , oxygen , allium , modified atmosphere , allium fistulosum , botany , horticulture , food science , biology , shelf life , biochemistry , organic chemistry
The characteristics of the respiration rates in precut green onion, as influenced by oxygen levels and temperature, were examined to provide design factors for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Fresh‐cut green onions ( Allium fistulosum L.) were prepared and sealed, with and without a CO 2 absorbent, in gas‐tight glass containers that had initially been purged with air or a gas mixture (O 2 9%/N 2 balance). The containers were stored at different temperatures (0, 10, 20 °C). At 10 °C, the maximum O 2 uptake rate (V m ) and the O 2 concentration at half‐maximum (K m ) uptake rate were 30.95 mL kg −1 h −1 and 1.63%, respectively. Regardless of temperature, the lower O 2 limit was estimated to be about 1.0% O 2 on the basis of respiratory quotient (RQ) increase. Respiration of cut green onion was dependent on O 2 concentration as well as temperature, as shown by applying the Michaelis–Menten type model and the Arrhenius equation. However, the presence of CO 2 had little effect on O 2 uptake of cut green onion at relatively high O 2 concentrations (≤20%).