Predicting keeping quality of strawberries (cv. 'Elsanta') packed under modified atmospheres: an integrated model approach

Keeping quality of 'Elsanta' strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne) can be limited by botrytis infection. The spoilage, in terms of number of strawberries affected, is described by a simple sigmoidal growth curve. The rate of quality decay is assumed to depend on temperature and the metabolic rate of the strawberries. The gas exchange of the strawberries was described by a Michaelis-Menten type model. The parameters for the gas exchange model were estimated from an independent set of data as a function of O-2, CO2 and temperature. The experimental data on spoilage, gathered from different batches of strawberries at different atmospheric conditions and temperatures could be explained by the model to a level of 83%. Differences between individual batches were traced back to different initial conditions related to the ripening stage. The integrated model approach was used to study the effect of MA conditions on the keeping quality of 'Elsanta' strawberries as limited by spoilage. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.