Modelling the respiration rate of fresh‐cut Annurca apples to develop modified atmosphere packaging

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 O2 concentration in the head space. The maximal respiration rate (mL kg h−1) (RRmax) and the O2% 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.