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Modelling the respiration rate of fresh‐cut Annurca apples to develop modified atmosphere packaging
Author(s) -
Torrieri Elena,
Cavella Silvana,
Masi Paolo
Publication year - 2009
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2007.01615.x
Subject(s) - respiration , modified atmosphere , respiration rate , respiratory quotient , chemistry , arrhenius equation , atmosphere (unit) , horticulture , oxygen , botany , zoology , activation energy , thermodynamics , food science , biology , shelf life , biochemistry , physics , organic chemistry
Summary In this work, the effect of temperature, oxygen, red coloration process and post‐harvest storage time on the respiration rate of fresh‐cut Annurca apples was studied to properly develop modified atmosphere packaging. Our results showed that the red coloration process and the post‐harvest storage time did not affect the respiration rate or the respiratory quotient of fresh‐cut Annurca apples in the range of temperature studied (5–20 °C). A Michaelis–Menten‐type equation, with the model constants described by means of an Arrhenius‐type relationship, was used for predicting respiration rate on varying the temperature and O 2 concentration in the head space. The maximal respiration rate (mL kg h −1 ) (RR max ) and the O 2 % corresponding to values estimated at the reference temperature (12.5 °C), i.e. the average of the experimental temperature ranges, were, respectively, 6.77 ± 0.1 mL kg −1 h −1 and 0.68 ± 0.07% v/v, and the activation energy of the aerobic respiration rate of fresh‐cut Annurca apples was estimated at 51 ± 1 kJ mol −1 . The model works well to develop a modified atmosphere for fresh‐cut Annurca apples.