Effect of temperature and gas composition on the shelf-life of dehydrated apricots

Dehydrated apricots were stored under different conditions of temperature ( 14, 21, 28 and 35 degrees C), gas composition (100% CO2, 80% N-2-20%CO2 and air) and packaging material (glass and film with an oxygen transmission ra te of 14.39 +/- 0.88 mL/m(2)/day). The most representative physical and che mical characteristics (L*, a*; b*, texture, water activity, sugars, moistur e and SO2 contents) regarding the shelf-life of dehydrated apricots were ev aluated during storage. Storage temperature showed a significant influence on L*, sucrose content (p > 99%), b* (p > 95%) and SO2 content (p > 99.9%). The rate of decrease of SO2 content and L* was well described by a first o rder kinetic. The influence of gas composition was important to both L* and a* (p > 95%) and SO2 content (p > 99.9%). Principal component analysis sho wed that the first two components accounted for 100% of the total variance. The first principal component which included L*, a*, b* and SO2 content ac counted for 75.3% of the variance. Sucrose, fructose and glucose contents w ere chiefly involved in the second principal component.