Lack of oxygen helps fruit break longer

Scientists have found a way to help keep fruits longer without interfering with genes or using chemicals.

In order to increase the shelf life of fruits, people often apply two ways: either genetic modification or chemical treatment. However, both of these methods are appealing to consumers because everyone thinks that doing things contrary to nature or interfering with chemicals is harmful to health.

The new method helps fruit stay longer.

Recently, scientists at Mitchurin University (Russia) have found a completely new method, lowering the cost of maintaining the quality of products.

The method is to slow down the "aging" process of fruits naturally, without interfering with their genome structure or using chemicals to process, but just creating a special atmosphere. in the storage room.

In their experiments, the object of research by scientists is apple. They put them in a specialized refrigerator, in which the oxygen concentration remained at a minimum, whereas carbon dioxide content increased.

In order to monitor the status of apples under oxygen starvation, a homemade device consisting of sensors was noted, recording changes in chlorophyl fluorescence intensity: chlorophyll emits light. Green light when enough oxygen, indicating the minimum amount of oxygen to ensure respiration for each type of fruit.

Researchers have applied the method they found for nine varieties of apples grown in Russia. When stored in these conditions, the apple maintains a much longer freshness than it is in nature, while the chemical composition and form remain unchanged.

Now scientists are experimenting on other vegetables to build this highly efficient process on an industrial scale.