Abstract
Apples are among the most consumed fruit all over the world. The combination of low temperature, low oxygen, and high carbon dioxide (controlled atmosphere) enables the storage of many apple cultivars up to one season. The 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment and the application of very low oxygen levels during storage in dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA) represent the two main breakthroughs of the last decade in the postharvest sector. Both positively affect the fruit quality after storage. The 1-MCP treatment enables firmness and colour retention by delaying the fruit ripening. The DCA based on chlorophyll fluorescence (DCA-CF) technology has a significant effect in preventing superficial scald on susceptible cultivars. Despite these benefits, both affect the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) synthesis and profile. In the present study we investigated 27 typical apple VOCs with a GC-FID, offering a reliable and repeatable quantification of each single VOC compound. In the three years study on 'Red Delicious' apple, the influence on VOCs profile of ultra-low oxygen (ULO) and DCA-CF storage combined with 1-MCP treatment was investigated. Our results confirm that each storage technology affects the VOCs profile differently. The combination with the 1-MCP treatment after 7 months storage and 7 days shelf-life was characterized by an immature similar VOC's profile mainly characterized by aldehydes-green component as expected. The difference in the VOC's profile between ULO and DCA-CF after storage, was flattened out after the shelf-life period. The impact of the novel storage technologies significantly affects the whole aromatic profile and its perception by the consumer. The increasing awareness of the consumer towards the aromatic compounds' perception represents a new important challenge for the postharvest quality chain.