Ethylene modelling in package headspace of fresh produce: A review

Ethylene accumulation is one of the main causes of rapid deterioration of climacteric fruit and vegetables in a package as ethylene accelerates the ripening process. Modelling the ethylene gas in a package headspace is a promising way to control the ripening process as it provides and optimises the methods to remove ethylene. In this review, the transmission of ethylene through a package, ethylene removal by a scavenger and ethylene accumulation inside the package are discussed with their models. The permeability of packaging material allows ethylene to escape from the package to a little extent. The perforation in packaging material also helps ethylene to depart rapidly from the fruit package which is explained and modelled using Fick's first law of diffusion. The pseudo-first- and second-order kinetics based on the adsorption phenomena have been used to model the removal of ethylene by a scavenger. The mass balance between the ethylene transmission rate through the package, ethylene production rate by fruit and ethylene removal by scavenger provides the ethylene accumulation which can be helpful for predicting the quality of the fruit inside a package. This study could lead to the development of an active fruit packaging system with the inclusion of ethylene along with oxygen and carbon dioxide for extending the shelf life of fresh commodities in postharvest storage.

Automated summary

Ethylene accumulation is a major cause of rapid deterioration of climacteric fruit and vegetables in a package, and modeling the ethylene gas in the package headspace provides methods to remove ethylene and control the ripening process. This review discusses the transmission of ethylene through a package, its removal by a scavenger, and its accumulation inside the package, along with their respective models. Understanding and controlling ethylene dynamics in packaging can extend the shelf life of fresh commodities in postharvest storage.