Modeling changes of headspace gas concentrations to describe the respiration of fresh-cut melon under low or superatmospheric oxygen atmospheres

Abstract

Packages of fresh-cut ‘Piel de Sapo’ melon were stored under 2.5 kPa O2 + 7 kPa CO2, 21 kPa O2, and 70 kPa O2 atmospheres for 35 days at 4 °C. A mathematical procedure was tested to model changes of in-package O2 and CO2 concentrations throughout storage, in order to predict the respiratory activity of the commodity. The relationships between respiratory activity and quality parameters of fresh-cut ‘Piel de Sapo’ melon were also assessed. A 70 kPa O2 atmosphere reduced CO2 production rate during 14 days, as well as prevented ethanol production during 3 weeks of storage. On the other hand, fermentative pathways were triggered under a 2.5 kPa O2 + 7 kPa CO2 atmosphere. Although 70 kPa O2 levels involved a high O2 consumption and a decrease in the soluble solids content, the use of superatmospheric O2 atmospheres are proposed to reduce CO2 production rates, avoid fermentative reactions and, maintain firmness and chewiness of fresh-cut ‘Piel de Sapo’ melon for 2 weeks of storage.

This research was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (Spain), through the AGL 2003-09208-C01 project, the European Social Fund and the Departament d’Universitats Recerca i Societat de la Informació of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Spain), which also awarded author G. Oms-Oliu with a pre-doctoral grant.