controlled atmosphere packaging biology
...ing ripening and spoilage. The controlled atmosphere packaging of foods is based on cellular respiration. According to Robert Bauman cellular respiration is a “ metabolic process that involves the complete oxidation of substrate molecules and production of ATP via a series of redox reactions.” (p.G-4). Energy can be extracted from chemical bonds in food molecules, by transferring electrons. Chemical reactions that pass electrons from one atom or molecule to another are oxidation-reduction reactions. The chloroplasts and mitochondria carry out energy conversion in the cell. The mitochondria are small spheres, rods, or filaments that produce energy for the cell through cellular respiration. The advantage of a controlled atmosphere packaging of food is that, the gas concentrations do not change during storage because the internal headspace gas composition is continually changing. The gas mixture changes as the food product respires. This is suitable for fresh fruits and vegetables, which are still living after harvest. As with the package permeability, each food has a unique optimum gas ratio since different products respire at different rates. The presence of o...