Internal atmosphere, quality attributes and sensory evaluation of MAP packaged fresh-cut Conference pears

Conference pear cubes processed at partially ripe maturity could preserve an acceptable sensory quality during 3-week storage. A processing treatment consisting of a dip in 10 g L-1 ascorbic acid and 5 g L-1 calcium chloride and a packaging atmosphere of 2.5 kPa O-2 + 7% CO2 preserved the overall sensory shelf life without significant changes in relation to untreated freshly prepared samples. However, high CO2 conditions were responsible for a rapid degradation of the product during the following days. Under 0 kPa O-2 atmosphere, the product underwent a progressive but slight loss of flavour; but colour and firmness variations were not detected through sensory tests.