Volatile profile of fresh-cut ‘Rocha’ pear under various temperatures and oxygen levels

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of temperature and oxygen concentration on the volatile profile of packed fresh-cut 'Rocha' pear, to integrate flavor changes in the development of preservation technologies for fresh-cut fruit. Slices of 'Rocha' pear were packed in low-density polyethylene pouches, with varying fruit weight, film surface area and film thickness, and were stored at 0, 5, 10 and 15°C. After 5 days at 15°C, 8 days at 10°C and 10 days at 5 and 0°C, steady-state O2 and CO2 partial pressures were achieved and the volatile composition inside packages was measured. Samples were grouped in four classes depending on the levels of oxygen: high (>8 kPa), intermediary (8-1 kPa), low (1-0.5 kPa), and very low (