An Empirical Model for Predicting the Fresh Food Quality Changes during Storage

It is widely recognized that the quality of fruits and vegetables can be altered during transportation and storage. Firmness and loss of weight are the crucial attributes used to evaluate the quality of various fruits, as many other quality attributes are related to these two attributes. These properties are influenced by the surrounding environment and preservation conditions. Limited research has been conducted to accurately predict the quality attributes during transport and storage as a function of storage conditions. In this research, extensive experimental investigations have been conducted on the changes in quality attributes of four fresh apple cultivars (Granny Smith, Royal Gala, Pink Lady, and Red Delicious) during transportation and storage. The study evaluated the weight loss and change in firmness of these apples varieties at different cooling temperatures ranging from 2 degrees C to 8 degrees C to assess the impact of storing at these temperatures on the quality attributes. The results indicate that the firmness of each cultivar continuously decreased over time, with the R-2 values ranging from 0.9489-0.8691 for red delicious, 0.9871-0.9129 for royal gala, 0.9972-0.9647 for pink lady, and 0.9964-0.9484 for granny smith. The rate of weight loss followed an increasing trend with time, and the high R-2 values indicate a strong correlation. The degradation of quality was evident in all four cultivars, with temperature having a significant impact on firmness. The decline in firmness was found to be minimal at 2 degrees C, but increased as the storage temperature increased. The loss of firmness also varied among the four cultivars. For instance, when stored at 2 degrees C, the firmness of pink lady decreased from an initial value of 8.69 kg center dot cm(2) to 7.89 kg center dot cm(2) in 48 h, while the firmness of the same cultivar decreased from 7.86 kg center dot cm(2) to 6.81 kg center dot cm(2) after the same duration of storage. Based on the experimental results, a multiple regression quality prediction model was developed as a function of temperature and time. The proposed models were validated using a new set of experimental data. The correlation between the predicted and experimental values was found to be excellent. The linear regression equation yielded an R-2 value of 0.9544, indicating a high degree of accuracy. The model can assist stakeholders in the fruit and fresh produce industry in anticipating quality changes at different storage stages based on the storage conditions.

Automated summary

The quality of fruits and vegetables can be affected during transportation and storage, especially in terms of firmness and weight loss. However, there is limited research on accurately predicting these attributes based on storage conditions. This study investigated the changes in quality attributes of four apple varieties during transportation and storage, and found that firmness decreased over time, with the rate of weight loss increasing. Temperature had a significant impact on firmness, with lower storage temperatures resulting in less decline.