Controlled Atmosphere Storage of Eastern-Grown Peaches and Nectarines

Excerpts from the report: Attempts have been made to prolong the marketable life of peaches by modifying or controlling the atmosphere surrounding the fruit during transit or in storage. In most controlled atmospheres (CA) the carbon dioxide (CO2) level is increased and the oxygen (O2) level decreased from the levels occurring normally in air. Many of the early investigations on the use of CA for peaches were geared to short holding periods. Some investigators have reported an extended life for peaches in CA under certain conditions; others have reported a shortened life or one no longer than that for peaches from normal air-refrigerated storage. In recent years there has been a resurgent interest in CA storage. Also, little information is available on the behavior of many of the newer peach or nectarine varieties under CA conditions. In view of these circumstances, plus the occasional reference indicating that some beneficial effects may result from modifying the atmosphere around peaches during transit or in storage, we decided to test again the possibilities of storing peaches and nectarines in CA. These tests were conducted on some of the newer varieties, testing (1) lower O2 levels than had previously been used, (2) a CO2 level at which few reports of injury or off-flavors had been found, and (3) longer storage periods under CA conditions than had been used in most earlier studies.