Impact of pulsed light treatment on the quality properties and microbiological aspects of red bell pepper fresh-cuts

Abstract

Pulsed light (PL) is one of the promising non-thermal decontamination methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PL treatment on microbial quality, bioactive compounds concentration, and water state during storage of red bell pepper fresh-cuts. Fresh-cuts were subjected to PL treatment with the fluence of 4–32 J/cm2 and stored for 7 days. Results showed that PL radiation preserves bioactive compounds such as vitamin C (up to 36%), phenolics (up to 19%), or carotenoids (up to 7%) for 7 days of storage in comparison to untreated material. PL processed fresh-cuts exhibited also better free radical scavenging activity (by 23%), especially when applied fluence was 32 J/cm2. PL treatment at 4 J/cm2 was not sufficient to destroy microbiota. However, an application of PL at 16 J/cm2 reduced tested microorganisms by 1.59–2.13 log cycles. Yeasts and molds were more sensitive to PL application in comparison to bacteria. Moreover, PL treatment can reduce the mobility of water located in the vacuoles, which is the “most available” fraction for deterioration reactions. Obtained results indicated that PL treatment with fluence above 4 J/cm2 may be used for decontamination of red bell peppers without any negative changes of their chemical properties.