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Notes:
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Standard quality parameters, consumer acceptability, emission of volatile compounds and ethylene production
of ‘Mondial Gala®’ apples (Malus × domestica Borkh.) were determined in relation to storage
atmosphere, storage period and shelf-life period. Fruit were harvested at the commercial date and stored
in AIR (21 kPa O2:0.03 kPa CO2) or under three different controlled atmospheres (CAs): LO (2 kPa O2:2 kPa
CO2), ULO1 (1 kPa O2:1 kPa CO2), or ULO2 (1 kPa O2:2 kPa CO2). Fruit samples were analysed after 12 and
26 weeks of storage plus 1 or 7 d at 20 ◦C.
Apples stored in CA maintained better standard quality parameters than AIR-stored fruit. The volatile
compounds that contributed most to the characteristic aroma of ‘Mondial Gala®’ apples after storage
were butyl, hexyl and 2-methylbutyl acetate, hexyl propanoate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl,
butyl and hexyl 2-methylbutanoate. Data obtained from fruit analysis were subjected to principal component
analysis (PCA). The apples most accepted by consumers showed the highest emission of ethyl
2-methylbutanoate, ethyl hexanoate, tert-butyl propanoate and ethyl acetate, in addition to the highest
titratable acidity and firmness values.
This work was supported through project RTA02-072, financed by Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agraria y Alimentaría of Spain (INIA). |
