Classification of impacted blueberries during storage using an electronic nose.

Background: An electronic nose (EN) was used to determine the effect of repeated impacts on changes in volatile characteristics of fresh blueberries during storage. Hand-harvested 'Misty' blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) were treated either as (1) undropped (control) fruits, (2) fruits poured six times from a picking bucket 200 mm into a plastic field lug or (3) fruits dropped as above ten times onto a steel surface. Fruits from all treatments were stored in vented polystyrene clamshell containers at 2 °C and 95% relative humidity.