Effect of temperature on glucosinolate content and shelf life of ready-to-eat broccoli florets packaged in passive modified atmosphere

Abstract

Ready-to-eat fruit and vegetables comprise a group of increasingly demanded value-added products. Broccoli is a highly perishable vegetable with unique nutritional characteristics. Development of minimally processed broccoli products demands varietal-specific knowledge as to which are the packaging conditions that preserve quality throughout shelf life. ‘Legacy’ cultivar broccoli florets were washed, disinfected, packaged in polypropylene and stored at 4, 8 and 15 °C for 21 d. Weight loss, internal atmosphere composition, respiration rate, color, texture, glucosinolate content, antioxidant capacity (AOC) and sensory attributes were evaluated throughout storage time. Results showed that 4 °C helped preserve sensory quality, texture, total glucosinolate content and AOC for 21 d. Temperature fluctuations reaching 15 °C resulted in loss of total glucosinolate content and unacceptable sensory quality. MAP helped mitigate temperature effects, especially at 8 °C. MAP is therefore an appropriate technology which can be applied to extend the shelf-life of ready-to-eat broccoli florets.