Postharvest

Biologyand
Technology
ELSEVIER Postharvest Biology and Technology 6 (1995) 41-54

Determination of film requirements and respiratory

behaviour of fresh produce in modified atmosphere
packaging

G.B.Y. Christie a**,J.I. Macdiarmid a*‘, K. Schliephake at2, R.B. Tomkins b

a Division of Material Science and Technology C.S.I.R.O., Private Bag 33, Rosebank MDC,
Clayton, EC. 3169, Australia
b Institute for Horticulture Development, Knoxjeld, Victorian Depaflment of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,
I?O. Box 174, Femtree Gully, Vie. 3156, Australia

Accepted 1 December 1994

Abstract

A simple technique was developed for determining the respiration rate of produce stored
in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) over the entire storage period including the
initial time when the produce responds to the modified atmosphere. It is based on a material
balance equation that relates the package film permeability and produce metabolism to
the in-package gas concentrations. The equation is particularly useful for determining basic
metabolic processes of produce such as respiration and ethylene biosynthesis in actual mod-
ified atmosphere packages, even when steady state conditions do not exist. Alternatively,
when the respiration rate is known, the film permeability required for MAP can be deter-
mined. The work reported here shows there is significant difference between permeability
values measured by the ASTM Dow cell method and the mixed gas cell method. It was found
that the film permeability must be measured by a mixed gas cell method for the technique
to give realistic predictions. When film permeability is determined using this method at the
conditions under which the produce is to be stored, it can be used directly in the equation
without any need for corrections. The material balance and permeability measurement were
tested by determining the metabolic activity of broccoli (cv. ‘Marathon’) stored under MAP
(6% CO*, 1.5% Or) at 1S”C. The steady state oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide produc-
tion and ethylene biosynthesis were 8.8 ml kg-’ h-l, 9.0 ml kg-’ h-’ and 0.04 ~1 kg-’ h-i,
respectively. These measurements agree with published and measured values.

Keywords: Modified-atmosphere packaging; Overwrapping; Film technology; Broccoli; Pack-

aging

* Corresponding author. Fax: 03 544 1128.

’ Present address: Dept. of Psychology, Univ. of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
* Present address: Dept. of Chemistry, Swinburne Inst. of Technology, Hawthorn, Vie. 3122, Australia

Elsevier Science B.V.

SSDI 0925-5214(94)00053-O
42 G.B.Y Christieet al. /PostharvestBiologyand Technology6 (1995) 41-54

1. Introduction

The accumulation of carbon dioxide and depletion of oxygen to beneficial levels

by the application of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is known to extend the
post-harvest life of many horticultural products (Zagory and Kader, 1988; Kader et
al., 1989). MAP can be difficult to implement commercially because of inconsistent
produce respiration rates, temperature changes during the handling-delivery chain
and non-ideal packing leading to variability around the average gas atmosphere
where some packages may be anaerobic and others safe.
MAP can be achieved by use of polymeric films where gas transmission rate
through the film, product respiration, carbon dioxide and oxygen levels within the
package are related by a simple material balance (Henig and Gilbert, 1975). There
have been several mathematical models based on this material balance developed
for MAP applications (Henig and Gilbert, 1975; Deily and Rizvi, 1981; Zagory
and Kader, 1988; Cameron et al., 1989; Mannapperuma et al., 1989; Zagory et al.,
1989).
Tailoring the polymer film properties, predicted by this material balance, to match
the respiration behaviour of produce subjected to changes in modified atmosphere
and temperature during storage, is the challenge presented by this field (Zagory
and Kader, 1988). Alternatively, a fully characterised polymer film can be used in
conjunction with the material balance equation to calculate directly the respiration
behaviour of produce under MAP.
Polymer film permeability is dependent on many factors including gas-polymer
solubility, temperature (Rogers, 1985) and microporosity (Mannapperuma et al.,
1989). Significant variation in film permeability occurs within individual polymer
types (Cambellick, 1985). Therefore, permeability determination of the specific film
under the envisaged storage conditions is a requirement for effective use of the
material balance equation and models based upon it.
The objectives of this work were to test the material balance using actual storage
data and determine the best film permeability measurement technique. Under cold
storage conditions the time-dependent permeability behaviour of two polyethylene
packaging films were characterised. These films were used to package broccoli and
determine its metabolic behaviour using the material balance. This allowed oxygen
consumption, carbon dioxide production and ethylene biosynthesis to be monitored
throughout the storage period, including the initial period in which the produce
succumbs to the MAP control. One film allowed aerollc and the other anaerobic
processes to be monitored.

2. Materials and methods

Film permeability
Two films were tested. The films were not
micro-perforations or ventilation holes. They
pm film, Cl, and a 25 f 3 pm experimental
polyethylene (LDPE) films impregnated with
microporous and did not contain any
were a commercially available 35 f 3
film, DF155. Both were low density
inorganic particles. They were tested
 G. B.Y Christie et al. /Postharvest Biology and Technology 6 (1995) 41-54 43

for oxygen, carbon dioxide and ethylene permeability. The films were shown not to
scavenge any ethylene.
The permeabilities of the films were measured by two techniques. A Dow cell
method described in ASTM D1434-82 (Storer, 1990) was used to determine the
film permeability at 22°C and in dry conditions. The applied gas pressure used
in the Dow cell was 9.30 x lo3 Pa. A second technique which used a mixed gas
cell was developed to measure the film permeability under storage conditions of
high humidity and low temperature. It was also used at 22°C and 60% relative
humidity (RH) to determine the initial permeability for comparison with the Dow
cell measurement. The technique involved placing a piece of film over the open
face of a 300-ml hemispherical glass dome. The apex of the dome had a conical
B24 ground glass opening to allow both sampling through a septum fitting and
flushing of the atmosphere inside the dome. The film was sealed against the ground
glass flange (I.D. = 10.7 cm) using ample silicone grease. The seal was inspected
regularly and any data indicating a suspected leak were discarded. Three replicates
were performed for each permeability measurement.
Before measurement, the container was flushed with a carbon dioxide, oxygen,
ethylene and nitrogen mixture, typically 15%, l%, 3 ,~l 1-l and 84%, respectively.
Over a period of 6 h the depletion of carbon dioxide and ethylene and accumulation
of oxygen were measured. Gas samples were taken from the cell at l-h intervals by
removing 1 ml of the sample gas and simultaneously replacing this with 1 ml of air.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations were determined by thermal conductivity
detector (TCD) gas chromatography. Argon was used as the carrier gas so as to
avoid argon interference with the oxygen determination. The carrier gas flow was 45
ml min- I. The injector and column temperatures were 100 and 8o”C, respectively.
The column was an Alltech@ CRT1 dual column with molecular sieve 5A and
Porapak Q 80/100 mesh. Ethylene concentrations were determined by flame ioni-
sation detector (FID) gas chromatography. The carrier gas was nitrogen. The flow
rate was 50 ml mm-‘. The injector and column temperatures were 180 and 150°C
respectively. The column was 2 m x 3.125 mm stainless steel tube packed with
alumina Fl 80/100 mesh. The transmission rates of the gases through the film were
calculated by the differential of the change in gas concentration with time, using the
numerical method of differentiation developed by Savitzky and Golay (1964).
The mixed gas cells were used under simulated storage conditions. The conditions
external to the cells were 1.5 f 0.5”C and 70 f 10% RH. To simulate the high
RH generated within produce packages during storage, 10 ml of free water was
introduced into the cell. Time-dependent behaviour of the films was measured
by storing the films on the gas cells for one, two, three and eight days before
permeability was measured. This provided information on the time period required
for the film permeability to reach a steady state under typical storage conditions
where the film adjusts to the temperature and the water environment.

Broccoli metabolism under MAP

Broccoli (cv. ‘Marathon’) was hand-harvested, the stems trimmed to approxi-
mately 12 cm in length, forced air cooled to approximately 2°C overnight and stored
44 G.B.X Christie et al. /Postharvest Biology and Technology 6 (1995) 41-54

at 0°C for two days before being packaged into the films Cl and DF155 (described
in the section above) and stored at 1.5 f 05°C for 27 days. The films were used
as sealed bags (lay-flat 900 x 1000 mm) inside waxed boxes (300 x 300 x 500 mm).
Each bag contained 6.2 f 0.8 kg of broccoli and some air was squeezed out of each
bag in a consistent manner before it was sealed air-tight to provide 1.0 f 0.05 m2
of area and 19.5 f 0.6 1 of void volume. The void volume was later determined by
subtracting the volume of broccoli from the total volume within the film as measured
by water displacement. There were five replicates of each treatment. During the
storage period, gas samples were taken using a l-cm3 air-tight syringe through septa
secured to the films (Ton&ins and Cumming, 1988), daily for the first four days then
every three days for the remaining storage time. Gas relative concentrations were
determined by gas chromatography.

Error analysis
All error limits quoted and shown on the diagrams are the 90% confidence limits
calculated using the sample standard deviation and the Student’s t critical point.

Mathematical model for MAP

To determine the production rate of gases under MAP the basic material balance
given in Eq. 1 can be used (Henig and Gilbert, 1975).

Production rate = Accumulation + GTR (1)

Production rate is the rate gas is produced or consumed by the produce in
the package. Accumulation is the concentration increase or decrease within the
package. Gas transmission rate (GTR) is the rate gas transfers through the package
wall. Production rate, accumulation and GTR all have the units of mol s-l.
The GTR is calculated from the experimentally determined film permeability and
gas concentration in the package. It is defined by the permeability, film thickness,
film area and the concentration difference of gas across the film as given in Eq. 2.
GTR __Px(C,-C,)xAx Const.l
L (2)

where P is the permeability (mol m-l s-l Pa-‘), C, is the concentration of the gas
in the atmosphere surrounding the package (%), C, is the concentration of the gas
in the package (%), A is the area of the film (m2), L is the thickness of the film (m),
and Const. 1 is calculated from the units to be 1013.3 Pa.
Accumulation is defined by Eq. 3.

Accumulation = $$ x V x Const. 2 (3)

where dC,/dt is the change of gas concentration in the package (%) with time (h),
V is the free volume in the package (l), and Const. 2 is calculated from the units to
be 1.24 x 1O-7 mol 1-l.
From the above equations the production or consumption rate of the gases in
the packages can be calculated in the units of mol s-l. This can be converted into
 G.B.Y Christie et al. /Postharvest Biology and Technology 6 (1995) 41-54 45

ml kg-* h-’ by th e multiplication of the constant 8.0676 x lo7 ml s mol-’ h-’ and
division by the mass of the product (kg).

3. Results and discussion

Mixed gas cell method

The mixed gas cell technique allowed the permeability of CO?, 02 and C2H4 to
be measured simultaneously. The basis of the permeability measurement is the gas
concentration in the cell which changes as gas permeates in and out. Fig. la, b shows
typical cell concentration curves for CO2 and C2H4 permeating through film DF155
into the surrounding air. It is expected that this technique will provide realistic
measurements for MAP calculations because the gas, temperature and humidity
conditions can be adjusted to match actual MAP conditions.
The initial gas compositions used for the measurements were similar to the
compositions expected in the packages, but within reasonable limits (i.e., 5-20%
COz, l-10% 02, and 0.5-10 ppm C2H4) this was shown not to be an important

(a)

0.6 (b)

0.4

4 6 12
Time (hours)

Fig. 1. Permeant concentration with time in mixed gas cell used to calculate film permeability at
storage conditions(l.YC, 100%RH). (a) CO2 using three initial concentrations and the DF155 film
after one day; (b) C2H4 using one initial concentration and the Cl film after eight days.
46 G.B. Y Christieet aL I PosthamestBiologyand Technology6 (1995) 41-54

criterion. Fig. la shows the CO2 concentration curves for three different initial
concentrations at 15°C in the mixed gas cell, immediately after flushing and using
DF155 film conditioned by one day simulated storage at 1.5”C. The same sample
of film was used to generate the three curves by differing the initial flushing time
with CO2. The differential of these curves determined numerically at 2 h gives film
permeabilities of 6.32 x 10-15, 5.97 x 1O-15 and 5.81 x lo-l5 mol m-l s-l Pa-’ (ave.
= 6.03 f 0.44 x lo-l5 mol m-l s-l Pa-‘) indicating that the effects of initial gas
composition are small.
The decrease of ethylene concentration at 1.5”C in the mixed gas cell immediately
after flushing and using the film Cl conditioned by eight days simulated storage at
1.5”C is shown in Fig. lb. Ethylene permeability of Cl was determined from this and
similar curves and was found to be 1.83 f 0.29 x 1O-15 mol m-l s-l Pa-‘.
The experimental scatter with the mixed gas permeability technique was suitable
for calculating respiration rates from the above equations with reasonable confi-
dence limits. The permeability 90% confidence limit was found to vary depending
on the film and gas type. For example, for film Cl the 90% confidence limit was
f15% for all three gases and for film DF155 the 90% confidence limit was f9% for
CO2 and 02, and f6% for ethylene.
The CO2 and 02 permeabilities for the two films by two methods (Dow and
mixed gas cell) are given in Table 1 and the ethylene permeabilities for the two films
are given in Table 2. Table 1 also shows the effect of humidity on film permeability.

Table 1
Comparison of Dow cell and mixed gas cell permeabilities and CO2 to 02 permeability ratio at 22 and
1.5”C (after an eightday equilibration period) under varying humidity conditions

Film Temp. Permeability (mol me1 s-l Pa-‘)

(“C) Dow cell Mixed gas cell

co2 co2/02 co2 co2/02

ratio ratio
DF155 22 0% RH: 3.91 rt 0.07 x lo-” 3.9 60% RH: 7.16 f 0.65 x lo-” 4.1
Cl 22 0% RH: 2.38 f 0.10 x lo-l5 4.7 60% RH: 4.70 f 0.79 x lo-l5 4.7
DF155 1.5 - 0% RH: 3.72 f 0.34 x lo-” 3.1
DFl55 1.5 - 100% RH: 2.82 f 0.26 x lo-” 3.4
Cl 1.5 - - 100% RH: 1.46 * 0.25 x lo-l5 5.9

Table 2
Film permeability to ethylene measured using the mixed gas cell method

Film Conditions Permeability (mol m-l s-l Pa-‘)

DFl55 60% RH, 22°C 6.00 f 0.34 x lo-”
100% RH, 1.5”C 3.32 f 0.19 x lo-l5
Cl 60% RH, 22°C 4.07 f 0.63 x lo-l5
100% RH, 1.5”C 1.83 f 0.29 x lo-l5
 G.B.Y Christie et al. I Postharvest Biology and Technology 6 (1995) 41-54 47

Dow cell method

The Dow cell technique measures film permeability using a pressure and volume
measurement which results in reduced experimental scatter. The 90% confidence
limit of the Dow cell technique here was f6%. The drawback is that gases can
only be measured singly and only at 0% RH. Therefore, the permeability variation
due to mixed gas interactions cannot be measured. The importance of this failing is
demonstrated in Table 1, where 0% RI-I is shown to increase the permeability over
100% RH for DF155. Also the permeability values from the Dow cell, measured
at 0% RH, were consistently lower than those measured using the mixed gas cell,
even though the lower RH would be expected to increase the permeability. This
phenomenon is consistently observed in this laboratory and it is proposed here that
the mixed gas technique is the better technique to use for determining respiration
rate.
A possible explanation for the observed permeability increase with the mixed gas
cell is that absorbed gases may change the film properties such as plasticity. The
adsorption of gas into the polymer is a necessary step in the overall permeation
process of gas (Rogers, 1985). In the mixed gas cell the polymer will absorb N2,02,
CzH4, Hz0 and CO2, whereas in the Dow cell the polymer will absorb either 02 or
CO2 singly.

Time-dependent permeability effects

The conditioning of the films significantly affects the permeability. In practice
films are taken from room condition, simulated here by 22°C and 60% RH, packed
with produce and stored in a cool room, simulated here by 15°C and 100% RH
on one side and cool room conditions on the other. Significant time-dependent
permeability was observed with the polymers subjected to this simulated storage
pattern. Polymer permeability to carbon dioxide and oxygen decreased over the first
three to four days until a steady state was reached (Fig. 2). This was due to the film
adapting to the low temperature and the high humidity.
The effect of humidity only is shown in Table 1 where the permeability of DF155
was shown to decrease in the high humidity conditions. This decrease is not due to
condensation on the film surface because this did not occur during measurement.
The change in temperature and humidity also affects the CO;! to 02 permeability
ratio. For DF155 and Cl, measured in the mixed gas cell under 60% RH at 22”C,
the ratios were 4.1 and 4.7, respectively (Table 1). The expected ratio for LDPE is
about 5 (Mannapperuma et al., 1989) and the lower value for the DF155 probably
arises from internal cavities built into the new film. After eight days in the storage
conditions these ratios for DF155 and Cl had changed to 3.4 and 5.9, respectively
(Table 1).
Based on the activation energy of 02 and CO2 in polyethylene, it would be
expected that the ratio for polyethylene would decrease slightly with decreasing
temperature. The larger than expected decrease with DF155 may be explained by
the flow through the internal cavities (which has a ratio of 0.8; Mannapperuma et al.,
1989) because this flow is not significantly affected by the decreased temperature,
whereas the flow through the polymer (which has a ratio of 5) is significantly
48 G.B.Y. Chrirtie et aL IPosthatvest Biology and Technology 6 (1995) 41-54

DF155. CO,

DFl55, 0,

2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Storage Period (Days)

Fig. 2. Time-dependent CO2 and 02 permeability of DF155 and Cl measured under simulated storage
conditions (1.5”C and 100% RH) using mixed gas cell.

reduced, leading to an overall decrease in the ratio. The ratio for DF155 is only
marginally affected by the humidity at 15°C. The reason for the large ratio increase
of film Cl may be related to the change in humidity and the hydrophilic nature of
the film. The anti-fogging properties of Cl result from the high oxygen content of a
hydrophilic additive which causes water to form as a film on the polymer rather than
as droplets. A second property related to the high oxygen content of the additive
is that water is readily absorbed into the polymer as indicated by a 2.5% increase
in weight through moisture uptake after three days in 100% RH at 1.5”C. Henry’s
law constant for 02 and CO2 in water at 25°C is 2.58 x lo9 and 7.377 x lo7 Pa
(mole fraction)-’ respectively, indicating that CO2 is 35x more soluble than 02 in
water. The higher solubility in the internal water may be selectively enhancing the
transport of CO2 through the polymer.

Condensation effects
A criticism of the technique developed here is that condensation that forms
on the surface of the film during storage might have affected the permeability in
an inconsistent and uncontrollable way. However, this is not the case when the
polymer is free from ventilation holes or micro-perforations. The rate of diffusion
of 02 and CO2 through water is significantly greater than its rate of permeation
through polymer. For example, the diffusivities of 02 and CO2 in water at 20°C are
7.39 x lo-l3 and 7.27 x lo-l3 mol m-l s-l Pa-’ (Foust et al., 1980), respectively,
 G.B.Y Christie et al. /Postharvest Biology and Technology 6 (1995) 41-54 49

and their permeabilities in LDPE are approximately 6 x lo-l6 and 3 x lo-l5 mol
m-l s- ’ Pa-‘, respectively. Using these values, a 50 pm LDPE film with a 1 mm
thick water layer on it is calculated to have the same 02 transmission rate as a 50.8
,um LDPE film without a water layer. Therefore, condensation droplets would not
have a significant effect on the overall permeability. When the majority of gas flow
is through micro-perforations or ventilation holes, condensation on or near these
holes may significantly affect the overall GTR. However, it should be noted that
in general it is observed that condensation does not form around ventilation holes
greater than 0.5 mm diameter because significant moisture loss occurs through these
holes, thus keeping the humidity in the vicinity below the condensing humidity.
Therefore, in packages which do not contain micro-perforations or ventilation holes
(as is the case with Cl and DF155), the presence of condensation will not affect the
material balance.

Calculation of broccoli metabolism under MAP

The COz, 02 and C2H4 concentrations for broccoli stored at 1.5”C in the two
films are given in Fig. 3a, b. These curves are used along with the mixed gas
cell permeability curves (Fig. 2) to calculate the respiration rate and ethylene
biosynthesis curves shown in Fig. 4a, b. This involves taking the differential of the
gas concentration curves (Fig. 3a, b) at given times and film permeability determined
at the corresponding times.
The concentration curves in Fig. 3a, b do not display the smooth exponential
change as predicted by the existing mathematical models (Henig and Gilbert, 1975;
Deily and Rizvi, 1981; Cameron et al., 1989). The CO2 and C2H4 curves presented
here display a characteristic maximum similar to those reported by other workers
(Henig and Gilbert, 1975; Rij and Stanley, 1987). Similarly, the 02 curves display
a minimum at approximately six to nine days. Gas levels in the Cl and DF155
packages (Fig. 3) indicate that the more permeable and thinner DF155 film provides
a modified atmosphere of much lower CO2 and slightly higher 02 concentration
than the thicker, less permeable Cl film. After four days the CO2 and 02 levels in
Cl packages were 16 and 0.75%, respectively. The CO2 concentration continued to
increase to over 24% indicating a shift to anaerobic respiration. This was confirmed
by high respiratory quotient (RQ) values.
The 90% confidence limits for these respiration curves are not shown in Fig. 4
for the sake of clarity. For the CO2 and 02 they ranged from f20% to f25% apart
from film Cl where the CO2 ranged from f30% to f50%. For ethylene they ranged
from f25% to f50% for film DF155 and from f35% to flOO% for film Cl. The
large error associated with CO2 and ethylene in Cl is related to the variation of
these gases in the replicate packages and presumably results from inconsistencies in
the broccoli synthesising these gases under anaerobic metabolism.

Aerobic metabolism
The CO2 production rate of the broccoli stored in DF155 can be seen in Fig. 4a
to decrease 36% from 13.8 to 8.8 ml kg-’ h-* over the initial 14-day storage period
as the produce adjusted to the modified atmosphere generated in the package,
50 G.B. Y Chktie et al. I PostharvestBiologyand Technology6 (1995) 41-54

6 12 18 24 30
Storage Period (days)

(b)
6 72 18 24

Storage Period (days)

 G. B.Y Christie et al. I Postharvest Biology and Technology 6 (1995) 41-54 51

6 12 18 24 30
Storage Period (days)

DF155

Storage Period (days)

Fig. 4. Calculated produce metabolism of broccoli in sealed DF155 and Cl packages during storage at
15°C. Calculated using the measured 02, COz, CzH4 levels (Fig. 3), the material balance and the film
permeabilities (Fig. 2 and Table 2). (a) CO2 production and 02 consumption; (b) C2H4 biosynthesis.

Fig. 3. (left) Actual gas levels in sealed broccoli packages using DF155 and Cl polymer films during
storage at 1.5”C. Each value is mean of five packages. The error bar represents the 90% confidence
limit calculated from the sample standard deviation of the five packages. (a) CO2 and 02; (b) C2H4.
52 G.B.Y Christieet al. I PosthutvestBiologyand Technology6 (1995) 41-54

.
DF155
I I I I I I

2 4 6 6 10
Oxygen Concentration (%I
Fig. 5. Respiratory quotient at 1.5”C of broccoli in sealed DF155 and Cl packages plotted against
oxygen concentration in the packages.

shown in Fig. 3a to be 1.5% 02 and 5.5% COz. The majority of the 02 production
rate decrease had occurred by day 4 (Fig. 4a), which corresponds to 1.5% 02 and
9.1% CO2 (Fig. 3a). However, it took a further ten days for the broccoli respiration
to decrease to its steady state level (Fig. 4a) under the effect of the modified
atmosphere. The RQ (Fig. 5) fluctuated around 1.1, indicating that anaerobic
respiration did not occur in DF155 although Fig. 3a would indicate it was perilously
close.

Anaerobic metabolism
In contrast, the CO2 production rate of the broccoli stored in Cl fluctuates
around an initial level of 12.7 ml kg-’ h-l with a significant minimum at three
days and maximum at five days (Fig. 4a). In Cl, the broccoli CO2 production rate
appears to decrease in response to the modified atmosphere up to day 3, before the
shift to anaerobic behaviour increases the CO2 production rate and decreases the
02 consumption rate. The shift to anaerobic behaviour is demonstrated by the RQ
increasing from 1.1 to 2.5 on day 3 (Figs. 3a and 5). The RQ continues to increase to
a maximum of 6.7, indicating that the anaerobic behaviour was not reversed. Fig. 4b
shows that ethylene biosynthesis in Cl is suppressed during anaerobic respiration
over that measured for DF155. The RQ for the two films are plotted in Fig. 5
as a function of 02 concentration in the packages. DF155 did not show a break
point even at 02 levels around 1%. However, Cl had a break point at an 02
level somewhere below 4%. This indicates that broccoli stored with a higher CO2
atmosphere in Cl had less tolerance for low oxygen.
 G. B.Y Christie et al. I Postharvest Biology and Technology 6 (1995) 41-54 53

Selecting the bestpermeability measurement technique

When the mixed gas cell is used to calculate the permeability under simulated
storage conditions, the calculated CO2 production rate for broccoli stored in DF155
drops from 13.8 ml kg-’ h-l, the initial air storage rate, to 8.8 ml kg-’ h-l,
the steady state modified atmosphere storage rate. The CO2 respiration of similar
broccoli (cv. ‘Marathon’) handled in a similar way has, since these packaging
experiments, been independently measured on broccoli heads (0.5 kg lots) with six
replicates at 15°C and two days after harvest in air and found to be 12.8 f 15%
ml kg-’ h-l. The calculated values are also similar to broccoli respiration rates
measured by other workers. For example, 14.4 ml kg-’ h-’ at 2°C in air and 8.6 ml
kg-’ h-l at 2°C in 1.5% 02 and 10% CO2 (Kader et al., 1989) and 11.7 ml kg-’ hh’
at 5°C in 8% 02 and 9% CO2 (Forney et al., 1989).
When the Dow cell permeabilities at 22 and 1.5”C are used to calculate the CO;!
production rate in DF155, the steady state modified atmosphere rates are 12.2 ml
kg-’ h-’ and 4.1 ml kg-’ h-‘, respectively.
The close agreement of the calculated respiration rate using the mixed gas cell
and the poor agreement of the Dow cell method to the measured and literature
values, indicates that the mixed gas cell permeability technique provides a more
accurate measurement for modelling MAP.

4. Conclusions

A simple technique is demonstrated which uses the mixed gas cell permeability
measurement, a material balance equation and measured gas concentrations to
determine the respiration and ethylene production rates of produce stored in MAP
This study shows that the respiration rates determined by the technique agree with
measured and published respiration data. The technique can provide data over the
entire storage period where temperature, humidity, produce behaviour and produce
maturity may vary whereas other techniques require steady state to be obtained
(Cameron et al., 1989; Forney et al., 1989). Also, the technique is simpler than those
which require the housing of packaged produce in respiration chambers (Fomey et
al., 1989), particularly when large package sizes need to be tested.
Permeability studies on two LDPE films showed that when selecting polymer films
for particular packaging applications, it is important that the film permeabilities be
measured under the envisaged storage conditions and using a mixed gas technique.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Yesim Gijztikara for measuring the respiration rate of
broccoli (cv. ‘Marathon’) and Lou and Rose Filippin for supplying the broccoli.

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