Comparing steady-state to unsteady-state respiration rate measurement methods for design of modified atmosphere packaging of grape tomatoes and blueberries with microperforations.

Designing modified atmosphere packages (MAPs) for fresh produce requires respiration rate (RR) data. A steady-state (SS) approach is widely used but is expensive, tedious, and time-consuming. Unsteady-state (USS) methods mitigate shortcomings of the SS approach, but comparisons between the two approaches have not been done to verify the design outcomes of MAPs, especially those with microperforations.