Maintaining Quality of Fresh Strawberries Through Various Modified Atmosphere Packaging

The influence of various modified atmosphere packaging (AMP) (21/0.05, 418 and 60/20% O-2/% CO2) on fresh strawberry qualities [pH, acidity, degrees Brix, colour (L, a) and texture profile analyses] was investigated and compared during storage. Among the gas combinations used, pH of fresh strawberry was 3.281 at 1 day, and increased to 3.561 for air [21/0.05% (O-2/CO2)], 3.53 for low (4/8) and 3.538 high (60/20) at 12 days. At the end of the storage, degrees Brix had evolved from the initial 7.07 to 5.47, 5.65 and 5.62 for 21% O-2; 4% O-2 and 60% O-2, respectively. Storage in 60% O-2 or 4% O-2 delayed the decrease of degrees Brix, titratable acidity and increased pH compared with 21% O-2. At the end of the storage, the strawberry L values had slightly decreased. Initial values of the firmness were 1067 gf and reduced to 501 gf (21% O-2); 613 gf (4% O-2) and 575 gf (60% O-2) at 12 days storage. Higher O-2 resulted in better springiness and chewiness than those treated with 4% O-2 and 21% CO2, but did not significantly affect resilience. These results show that the use of various MAP gas compositions, including high oxygen, could be a good alternative to maintain fresh strawberry qualities for at least 12 days. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.