Effect of high CO₂ atmospheric packaging on postharvest quality of fresh pistachio fruits ('Badami')

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of high CO₂ controlled atmosphere packaging on the shelf life and fruit quality of fresh pistachio fruits. The experiment was based on complete randomized design (CRD), four atmospheric conditions at four replications. Fully ripe fresh pistachio fruits were stored at 5% O₂ with elevated concentrations of CO₂ (5, 25, and 45%) all balanced with N₂, while ambient air was used as control. Fruits were stored at 4°C for 45 days. The characteristics such as hull firmness, color, weight loss, and sensorial quality were measured at the end of storage. The results showed that packing gas composition affected weight loss, color, and sensorial quality factors. However, no significant differences were found in hull firmness, chroma, and hue angle. According to the results, CO₂ application in the storage atmosphere decreased weight loss. The highest CO₂ concentration led to the lowest weight loss (0.147%), whereas, using ambient air in the packages showed the highest weight loss (0.182%). in this experiment, Regarding the flavor, trained panelists preferred the fruits stored under low concentrations of CO₂. The results also confirmed that increasing CO₂ concentration into packages did not have a significant effect on the main postharvest quality factors. Furthermore, it can be concluded that despite adding different concentrations of CO₂, fruits experienced similar atmospheric conditions in the sealed packages.