Diode laser absorption spectroscopy for studies of gas exchange in fruits

Gas exchange in fruits, in particular oxygen transport in apples, was studied non-intrusively using wavelength modulation diode laser absorption spectroscopy at about 761 nm, applied to the strongly scattering intact fruit structure. The applicability of the technique was demonstrated by studies of the influence of the skin to regulate the internal oxygen balance and of cling film in modifying it by observing the response of the signal from the internal oxygen gas to a transient change in the ambient gas concentration.Applications within controlled atmosphere fruit storage and modified atmosphere packaging are discussed. The results suggest that the technique could be applied to studies of a large number of problems concerning gas exchange in foods and in food packaging.