SCRUTINIZING THE SANITIZING PROCESS INVOLVING AQUEOUS CHLORINE FROM FIELD TO FRESH-CUT ICEBERG LETTUCE

2011 ◽  
pp. 37-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.D. Fallon ◽  
D.V. Rios ◽  
J.M. Fonseca
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
Md. Azizul Haque ◽  
Md. Asaduzzaman ◽  
Md. Sultan Mahomud ◽  
Md. Rizvi Alam ◽  
Alin Khaliduzzaman ◽  
...  

AbstractFresh-cut lettuce is a very well-known salad for today's routines because it obliges minimal preparation to minimize the loss of health beneficial vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other phytochemicals. It is a prodigious challenge to serve its consumers fresh. Quality of freshly processed lettuce under high CO2 modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) has been investigated as a realistic alternative technique for its preservation. Storage under high CO2 atmospheric treatments exhibited a significant impact in microbial development, electrolyte leakage, volatile metabolites and sensory quality of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce. This storage condition (MAP 1: 5 kPa O2 and 20 kPa CO2 balanced by N2 at 7 °C for 6 days) inhibited the growth of mesophilic bacteria and yeasts; delayed the enzymatic browning (cut-edges and intact surface) of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce and overall visual quality was also in acceptance limit. The development of off-odors was perceived in high CO2 MAP as a consequence of volatiles (ethanol and acetaldehyde) accumulation which was persisted at an inexcusable level during 6 days of storage periods.


2014 ◽  
Vol 77 (9) ◽  
pp. 1487-1494 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNEMARIE L. BUCHHOLZ ◽  
GORDON R. DAVIDSON ◽  
BRADLEY P. MARKS ◽  
EWEN C. D. TODD ◽  
ELLIOT T. RYSER

Cross-contamination of fresh-cut leafy greens with residual Escherichia coli O157:H7–contaminated product during commercial processing was likely a contributing factor in several recent multistate outbreaks. Consequently, radicchio was used as a visual marker to track the spread of the contaminated product to iceberg lettuce in a pilot-scale processing line that included a commercial shredder, step conveyor, flume tank, shaker table, and centrifugal dryer. Uninoculated iceberg lettuce (45 kg) was processed, followed by 9.1 kg of radicchio (dip inoculated to contain a four-strain, green fluorescent protein–labeled nontoxigenic E. coli O157:H7 cocktail at 106 CFU/g) and 907 kg (2,000 lb) of uninoculated iceberg lettuce. After collecting the lettuce and radicchio in about 40 bags (~22.7 kg per bag) along with water and equipment surface samples, all visible shreds of radicchio were retrieved from the bags of shredded product, the equipment, and the floor. E. coli O157:H7 populations were quantified in the lettuce, water, and equipment samples by direct plating with or without prior membrane filtration on Trypticase soy agar containing 0.6% yeast extract and 100 ppm of ampicillin. Based on triplicate experiments, the weight of radicchio in the shredded lettuce averaged 614.9 g (93.6%), 6.9 g (1.3%), 5.0 g (0.8%), and 2.8 g (0.5%) for bags 1 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 30, and 31 to 40, respectively, with mean E. coli O157:H7 populations of 1.7, 1.2, 1.1, and 1.1 log CFU/g in radicchio-free lettuce. After processing, more radicchio remained on the conveyor (9.8 g; P < 0.05), compared with the shredder (8.3 g), flume tank (3.5 g), and shaker table (0.1 g), with similar E. coli O157:H7 populations (P > 0.05) recovered from all equipment surfaces after processing. These findings clearly demonstrate both the potential for the continuous spread of contaminated lettuce to multiple batches of product during processing and the need for improved equipment designs that minimize the buildup of residual product during processing.


Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 988
Author(s):  
Bernardo Pace ◽  
Imperatrice Capotorto ◽  
Michela Palumbo ◽  
Sergio Pelosi ◽  
Maria Cefola

Leaf edge browning is the main factor affecting fresh-cut lettuce marketability. Dipping in organic acids as well as the low O2 modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), can be used as anti-browning technologies. In the present research paper, the proper oxalic acid (OA) concentration, able to reduce respiration rate of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce, and the suitable packaging materials aimed to maintaining a low O2 during storage, were selected. Moreover, the combined effect of dipping (in OA or in citric acid) and packaging in low O2 was investigated during the storage of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce for 14 days. Results showed a significant effect of 5 mM OA on respiration rate delay. In addition, polypropylene/polyamide (PP/PA) was select as the most suitable packaging material to be used in low O2 MAP. Combining OA dipping with low O2 MAP using PP/PA as material, resulted able to reduce leaf edge browning, respiration rate, weight loss and electrolyte leakage, preserving the visual quality of fresh-cut lettuce until 8 days at 8 °C.


2017 ◽  
Vol 124 ◽  
pp. 91-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J.M. Paillart ◽  
J.M.B.M. van der Vossen ◽  
E. Levin ◽  
E. Lommen ◽  
E.C. Otma ◽  
...  

HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 567f-567
Author(s):  
Gloria Lopez-Galvez ◽  
Mikal Saltveit ◽  
Marita Cantwel

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity in iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is increased in response to several kinds of stress, including wounding, exposure to ethylene, and fungal infection. Ethylene-induced PAL activity is correlated with the discoloration and shelf-life of fresh cut lettuce (Couture et al. 1993. HortScience 28:723). The objective of this research was to further characterize the kinetics of wound-induced PAL in fresh cut lettuce. Leaves of different cvs were cut into salad pieces (1.5 × 3 cm), rinsed in chlorinated water, centrifuged manually, and placed into containers at 5 or 15C through which humidified air flowed. Samples were evaluated for overall visual quality and specific types of discoloration. Midrib tissue was also finely cut (1 × 0.5 cm) for enhanced wound-induction of PAL, which was assayed spectrophotometrically. The kinetics of PAL in midrib tissue of fine cut and salad cut lettuce were similar, with maximum activities obtained within 12-16 h at 15C and within 40-60 h at 5C. Maximum PAL levels in the fine cut lettuce were 1.5-2.0 times those observed in the salad cut pieces, and similar to those induced by ethylene. The usefulness of PAL as a predictor of the storage life of fresh cut lettuce depends on simplifying and expediting the PAL assay.


HortScience ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuetong Fan ◽  
Kimberly J.B. Sokorai

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and delay of irradiation application on the quality of cut Iceberg lettuce. Overall visual quality and tissue browning of cut lettuce were evaluated using a scale of 9 to 1, whereas texture was analyzed instrumentally during 14 days of storage at 4 °C. Results showed that irradiation (0.5 and 1.0 kGy) of cut lettuce induced tissue browning when stored in air; however, when cut lettuce was stored in MAP, irradiated lettuce had better appearance than the non-irradiated ones as a result of lower O2 levels in the packages of irradiated samples compared with the levels in control packages. In general, irradiation at doses of 0.5 and 1.0 kGy did not affect firmness of the lettuce. After 14 days of MAP storage, overall visual quality of non-irradiated samples had a score of ≈4, a score below the limit of sales appeal, whereas the two irradiated samples had scores of 6.5 to 7.9, indicating the irradiated samples had a fair to good quality. Delaying irradiation by 1 day after preparation of cut lettuce did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect cut edge browning, surface browning, or overall visual quality compared with lettuce irradiated immediately after preparation. Our results suggest that MAP is essential to minimize quality deterioration caused by irradiation.


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