Use of pressure for improving storage quality of fresh-cut produce

Abstract

The microflora of fresh-cut produce is comprised primarily of phytopathogenic and soilborne organisms, but the product could be contaminated with foodborne pathogens. Populations of bacteria, molds, and yeasts associated with fresh-cut produce decreased to non-detectable levels following a high pressure (HP) treatment of 400 MPa for 10 min at room temperature, except for sporeforming bacteria such as Bacillus spp. which were inactivated when subjected to 600 MPa at 60 °C for 10 min. The HP treatment of 400 MPa for 5–10 min at room temperature for fresh-cut lotus root and pineapple may be commercially feasible as an alternative to chemical sterilization and thermal blanching, respectively. The HP treatment reduced the epiphytic microorganisms of the products to nondetectable levels, and the microbial counts remained at the initial levels during storage at 1 °C with minimal changes in physicochemical and visual quality of the products. However, the HP treatment induced cellular disruption in plant tissue that contributed to the changes in appearance of several fresh-cut vegetables. To improve storage quality, combining lower pressures with complementary technologies should be useful for successful application of HP for other fresh-cut produce.