Ethylene levels associated with fruit and vegetables during marketing

Over 700 measures of the level of ethylene in the atmosphere of fruit and vegetable holding areas in wholesale markets, distribution centres, supermarket retail stores and domestic refrigerators were taken over a 3-year period. The lowest ethylene levels were found in supermarket stores with a mean level of 0.017-0.035 mu L/L in produce receival, storage and display areas. Levels in the ambient air of wholesale markets and distribution centres were higher at about 0.06 mu L/L. Domestic refrigerators were grouped into those that contained or did not contain apples with the ethylene level being much higher at 0.20 mu L/L where apples were present and 0.029 mu L/L where apples were absent. Using a rating scale, which was developed from published literature on non-climacteric produce, of less than or equal to 0.015 mu L/L ethylene as a low level where less than 10% of potential postharvest life is lost and greater than or equal to 0.1 mu L/L as a high level where there is higher than 30% loss of postharvest life, suggests that most produce during marketing is held in an ethylene atmosphere where 10-30% of potential postharvest life is lost.