Determination of O2 and CO2 transmission rate of whole packages and single perforations in micro-perforated packages for fruit and vegetables

Microperforated packages are in widespread use for whole and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, and there is a need for a simple and cost efficient methodology to accurately determine gas transmission rates for different packages. This work demonstrates a static technique using a low cost gas analyser for determining the O₂ and CO₂-transmission rates and permselectivity for whole perforated and non-perforated packages stored at different temperatures. The work further demonstrated the possibility to calculate the transmission rates for single holes, and results for single perforations agreed well with results in other studies. The O₂- and CO₂-transmission rates in perforated packages were not significantly affected by temperature in the range 5–23 °C, whereas transmission rates increased with increasing temperature for non-perforated packages. Gas transmission measurements can be used within quality control, in the choice of appropriate packaging for different fruit and vegetables and as an important parameter in EMAP modelling.