Phytochemical and microbiological changes of honey pomelo (Citrus grandis L.) slices stored under super atmospheric oxygen, low-oxygen and passive modified atmospheres

Summary The effect of different modified atmosphere packaging conditions, 75 kPa O2 (high-oxygen atmosphere, HOA), 3.0 kPa O2 + 5.0 kPa CO2 (low-oxygen atmosphere, LOA) and passive atmosphere (PA) on the antioxidant properties of ready-to-eat honey pomelo slices stored at 4 °C was investigated. Both ascorbic acid content and antioxidant capacity underwent a significant depletion under HOA in comparison with LOA and PA. Total phenolic content among the samples stored under HOA and PA decreased significantly, but not for LOA. Moreover, HOA was more effective in maintaining the firmness of the slices. The hue angle values among different packaging atmosphere conditions were significantly affected, but chroma values were not. Both high oxygen and low oxygen concentrations inhibited the growth of spoilage microorganism of honey pomelo slices.