SHELF-LIFE PREDICTION OF SLICED FRESH APPLES

The influence of dipping and modified atmosphere (MA) treatment on the decay of quality parameters of minimally processed apples packed in multilayer pouches during refrigerated storage was assessed. A model based on the principle of enzyme kinetics for predicting respiration rates of fresh produce was tested. The model has successfully fitted the experimental data, corroborating the hypothesis used to derive it, both in the case of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. Quality parameter evaluation showed a significant effect of MA and particularly of dipping treatment to retard discoloration (evaluated with tristimulus colorimeter and image analysis), while texture was better maintained in non dipped samples. The synergistic effect of MAP and dipping to maintain quality was much more evident in slowing down ripening and metabolism of the product.