76C-5 |
Consumer acceptance of fresh-cut, packaged lettuce sanitized with 2% hydrogen peroxide and mild heat |
K. H. MCWATTERS1, M. S. Chinnan1, M. P. Doyle2, S. L. Walker1, and C. M. Lin2. (1) Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 30223, (2) Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 30223 Previous work conducted in our laboratories developed a treatment consisting of 1.5% lactic acid plus 1.5% hydrogen peroxide at 40oC for 15 min which effectively reduced pathogenic organisms on apples, oranges, tomatoes, and lettuce. Although the treatment caused no significant quality changes in the firm fruits, adverse effects (browning, spine damage, wilting, loss of turgor) occurred with lettuce. Further efforts to improve the treatment eliminated use of lactic acid because of the sour taste it imparted to the innermost leaves, its cost, and the necessity of having to add a processing step to neutralize the acid. Milder heat and shorter time were also employed. Microbiological analyses showed that 2% hydrogen peroxide at 50oC for 60 seconds effectively reduced pathogenic organisms on fresh-cut iceberg lettuce, but effects on sensory characteristics were unknown. Objectives were to determine effects of this antibacterial treatment on consumer acceptability of fresh-cut lettuce. Consumers were recruited from the local community to evaluate the sensory quality of untreated (control) and treated lettuce. After processing, iceberg lettuce was packaged in polyethylene film, using the protocol employed by the fresh-cut industry. Three-pound packages of treated and control lettuce were stored at 5oC and evaluated after 3, 10, and 15 days. Forty consumers evaluated the quality of processing Rep. 1 on April 26 and another forty consumers evaluated processing Rep. 2 on May 3. Because replication differences were observed in instrumental color measurements and in mean sensory ratings for the two test dates, reps were not pooled for statistical analysis of the data. Overall, the antibacterial treatment was more effective in maintaining sensory quality during 15 days of storage, compared to untreated controls, provided that the lettuce had considerable green color initially. Findings from both the microbiological and sensory studies indicate positive market potential for the hydrogen peroxide/mild heat antibacterial treatment.
Session 76C, Fruit & Vegetable Product: Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
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