Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dipping in solutions of citric (2%), benzoic (0.2%), sorbic (0.2%) and ascorbic (0.5%) acids and in acidic electrolyzed water on the quality attributes and surface microbiota of fresh-cut apples, cvs ‘Florina’ and ‘Ionathan’, packaged in disposable plastic containers under normal atmospheric conditions during 14 days storage at 8 °C. The colour, firmness, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and surface microbial load were determined weekly throughout storage. The colour results indicated that acidic electrolyzed water reduced browning while the ascorbic and citric acids were less effective in controlling the enzymatic browning of fresh-cut apples. After 14 days of refrigerated storage, the samples treated with 2% citric acid and acidic electrolyzed water maintained significantly higher firmness, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity than the other treated and control samples. The microbiological analysis revealed that organic acids successfully suppressed bacterial growth throughout the storage period as compared to the control samples. The sorbic and benzoic acids at 0.2% were also effective on yeasts but these dip treatments determined a higher darkening, yellowing and loss of firmness and of antioxidant activity during storage.
Highlights
Medical and nutritional research has emphasised the health benefits of fruits and vegetables consumption, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, type II diabetes mellitus and obesity (Slavin & Lloyd, 2012)
The influence of chemical treatments on the colour of fresh-cut apples was evaluated by monitoring the changes in colour values (L*, a*, b*) at the surface of apple pieces stored at 8 °C for 14 days
This trend was found in previous studies (Soliva-Fortuny et al, 2001; Raybaudi-Massilia et al, 2007) and it was attributed to enzymatic browning caused by tissue damage with consequent enhanced contact between enzymes and substrates (Rojas-Graü et al, 2008)
Summary
Medical and nutritional research has emphasised the health benefits of fruits and vegetables consumption, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, type II diabetes mellitus and obesity (Slavin & Lloyd, 2012). There has been a dramatic increase in outbreaks of recently reported associated disease with fresh-cut produces caused by the growth of some pathogenic microorganisms on the exposed surface after minimally processing of fruits and vegetables (Callejón et al, 2015). These quality deteriorations and safety concerns have brought an urgent demand for new and improved technologies in order to develop safe fresh-cut fruits and vegetables with high sensory quality and nutritional value
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