Is it possible to find an optimal controlled atmosphere?

Every controlled atmosphere (CA) conference has included recommendations for controlled atmospheres that purport to produce the optimal storage atmosphere for specific horticultural crops. However, the natural variability in the raw material and its dynamic response to processing and storage conditions may render it impossible to identify a truly optimal storage atmosphere. Additional refinements in recommendations for the CA and modified atmosphere (MA) storage of fruits and vegetables will continue to accrue through empirical observations derived from traditional experiments in which the six components of the storage environment (i.e. duration, temperature, relative humidity, O2, CO2 and ethylene levels) are varied in well-defined steps. However, the variability inherent in biological systems and the often dynamic response of the stored commodities to changes in their storage environment may not be adequately accounted for in these types of static experiments where all variables are usually held constant for the duration of the experiment. Truly significant advances in the use of CA and MA may require the development of mathematical models that incorporate some measure of the commodity’s dynamic response to the storage environment. These measurements should reflect the commodity’s changing response to various storage parameters (e.g. a shifting anaerobic compensation point), and should be useful in predicting future changes in quality. # 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.