Packaging and storage of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables are a challenging task, since fresh produce continue to respire and senesce after harvest and processing accelerates the physiological processes. The response on respiration and ethylene production rates of fresh produce to changes in O2 and CO2 concentrations and temperature has been extensively studied for whole fruits but literature is limited on processed and mixed fresh-cut fruits. This study aimed to investigate the effects of mixing various proportions of fresh-cut fruits (melon chunks, apple slices, and pineapples cubes) on respiration and ethylene production rates and to develop predictive models for modified atmosphere packaging. The experiment was designed according to a simplex lattice method and respiration and ethylene production rates were measured at 10 °C. Results showed that single component pineapple cubes, apple slices, and melon chunks, in this order, had significant constant coefficients (P = 0.05) and the greatest impact on respiration rate while the interactive binary and tertiary coefficients were insignificant. For ethylene production rates, single component apple slices, melon chunks, and pineapple cubes, and their 3-component mixtures, in this order, had significant constant coefficients (P = 0.05) while binary coefficients were insignificant. Mathematical models were developed and validated; the cubical model was the best to describe the influence of proportion of fruit on respiration and ethylene production rates, however, considering simplicity the linear part of the model is recommended to quantify respiration and ethylene production rates of mixed fresh-cut fruits.
Practical application: This research helps to quantify the ethylene production and respiration rates of multicomponent mixed fresh-cut fruit, which then can be used for packaging design of fresh-cut produce.
Keywords: ethylene production rate; fresh-cut fruit mixture; modeling; respiration rate; simplex lattice.
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