CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW
Controlled Atmosphere Storage

Background of Controlled Atmosphere Storage

Modification of atmospheres for storage of fresh fruits

and vegetables is a subject that has received much attention
since the early 1900s. Controlled-atmosphere (CA) or modified
atmosphere (MA) storage refers to reduction of 02 and/or

elevation of CO2 to levels different from those in air (Zagory

and Kader, 1988). In CA storage, the level of 02 and CO2 are

continually monitored and adjusted to maintain the optimal

concentrations, while in MA, the desired levels of both gases

are maintained with less precision through the natural process

of respiration, and by limiting gas exchange around the

produce by means of various types of barriers. Nevertheless,

the mechanistic basic principles involved in CA or MA storage

of fruits and vegetables are similar.

Early studies on CA storage of fresh fruits and

vegetables were initiated by Kidd and West in 1927. Research
on CA storage of apples in the US was initiated by Smock and
Allen in the 1930s, while the first commercial CA equipment

for New York apple growers was made by Van Doren and Mattus in
1940 (Mattus, 1989). Since these early studies, a significant