HEATS OF RESPIRATION FOR INDIAN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Abstract

Data regarding the heat of respiration of Indian fruits and vegetables is scarce. An enormous loss of these perishable commodities occur in India due to inadequate cold storage facilities. The extension of cold storage facilities to these food products requires measurement of their heats of respiration to help refrigeration design engineers. In the present work, an experimental apparatus was developed for the measurement of respiration rates of fruits and vegetables. The apparatus essentially consisted of two parts, viz. 1) An air handling system, capable of developing and maintaining temperatures as low as —2 C, 2) A set up for the analysis of the carbon dioxide released by the specimen fruits or vegetdbbles• The set up as a whole enabled to determine the rate of CO2 production by a particular weight of specimen fruits or vegetables, at a definite temperature. The rate of CO2 pro. duction could be translated into the rate of heat production by the product. Respiration rates were measured at two temperatures viz, the room temperature and the recommended cold storage temperature, for oranges and potatoes. The values obtained were compared with those published in the literature and were found to lie in the range of values reported in the literature,