Abstract
Vegetables are an important source of vitamins and minerals and are one of the most perishable products. Fresh vegetables need to be cleaned, sorted, washed and dried before entering distribution and trading systems. The quality of the product and the effect of the environment during preparation are very important. One method of stabilizing vegetable quality is the application of ozone, which is a strong disinfectant used to inactivate microorganisms. Ozone, when in contact with a product surface, does not leave any harmful by-products. This research aims to optimize carrot treatment with ozonated water and evaluate its effect and efficiency on the storage of products. A constant concentration of 1.53 ± 0.09mgL-1 ozone in water was used, and processing times of 5, 10, 15 and 20min were applied. The carrots' weight and changes to the mould population on the carrots' surface during storage were observed after treatment with ozonated water. A decrease in mycological contamination on washable vegetable surfaces occurred within the first 5min, and longer processing times (more than 5min) did not influence the efficacy of the treatment. Thus, using ozonated water at an ozone concentration of 1.53 ± 0.09mgL-1 reduced the mould population by up to 99.99% and could also prolong carrot storage duration up to 1.7 times. Treatment of carrots with ozonated water had minimal impact on the carrots' weight.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.