Carbon Dioxide Injury Prediction Model for Fresh-Cut Apples

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) injury is one of the key cause affecting the sales of fresh-cut apples during the sales period. The method to warn the time till occurring CO₂ injury would be convenient for businesses and consumers, but so far, no one has paid attention. This research aimed to study the change rule of the mechanism of carbon dioxide injury of fresh-cut apples treated with high CO₂ concentration. The experiment was conducted at 5, 15, 25 and 35°C for 4 days. Every twelve hours, the fresh-cut apple was analyzed by measuring the changes of firmness, soluble solids concentration, browning index and sensory evaluation. The results showed that sensory scores, firmness and soluble solids concentration decreased over time, while the browning index of freshly cut apple increased rapidly with time. Based on the dynamic model of the browning index, with the CO₂ Injury warning model of ready-to-eat apples treated with high CO₂ concentration was determined.