Quality, sensory and volatile profiles of fresh-cut big top nectarines cold stored in air or modified atmosphere packaging

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) GC-MS was used to investigate the volatile organic compound (VOC) profile of fresh-cut 'Big Top' nectarine samples, stored in unsealed bags (AIR) or packed in active modified atmosphere (MAP) after 8 days of cold storage. Nectarine slices were also subjected to sensory and quality analysis after harvest and at the end of the storage. MAP preserved the overall quality, the appearance and the olfactory properties of nectarine slices during storage, while AIR samples showed symptoms of dehydration and browning. Sixty VOCs were identified in total in the headspace of the fresh nectarines and cold-stored fruit slices samples. Principal component analysis performed on VOCs allowed to differentiate fresh nectarines from cold-stored samples, with lactones and terpenes mainly related to fresh samples, and ester compounds positively correlated to AIR or MAP samples. Partial least square regression models allowed to identify a pool of VOC predictors of olfactory sensory descriptors.