Endogenous volatiles emanating from intact navel oranges were measured by gas chromatography during and after N 2 storage. The longer the oranges were held in N 2 the greater was the rate of volatile production, both in N 2 and after the fruit were returned to air. Ethanol was the predominant volatile emanating from oranges during N 2 storage. The rate of ethanol production progressively increased in N 2 storage and decreased when the oranges were returned to air. The rate of acetaldehyde production increased slightly in N 2 storage and increased markedly to a maximum 2 to 4 hr after the oranges were returned to air, and then rapidly declined. The rate of methanol production increased in N 2 storage and declined slightly when the oranges were returned to air. Oranges held 2 hr in N 2 returned to pre-treatment volatile production rates after several days in air but those held for longer periods in N 2 did not return to pre-treatment rates. All oranges held in N 2 20 hr at 38° C or 3 or more days at 20° developed rind injury after the fruits were returned to air.
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Norman et al. (1971) studied this question.