Question
Hello, I came across the 'Produce Facts' reports and found them of great value. I was particularly interested in the rates of respiration for various types of produce, and wondered if data on produce O2 consumption is also available. I was unsure if this could be calculated based on the CO2 values provided for each item. I appreciate your assistance. Thanks. (T.B.)
Answer
Usually the substrate source for respiration is sugar and therefore the relationship between CO2 produced and O2 consumed is 1.00. However, if substrate is lipid or organic acid, the relationships are different. In most of the literature, respiration rates are reported as carbon dioxide produced because that is relatively easy to measure. Our produce facts' rates are based on those values. In some research, respiration rates have been determined from oxygen consumption rates or heat production. It would be a matter of searching the literature for the products you are interested in for that kind of detail. I hope this is helpful.
-Marita Cantwell