Environmental Friendly Sanitation to Improve Quality and Microbial Safety of Fresh-Cut Vegetables

Abstract

Fresh-cut products have a limited shelf-life due to rapid deterioration caused by microbial growth as well as physiological disorder. Cutting of fruits and vegetables increases microbial spoilage of fresh-cut produce through transfer of microflora on the outer surface to the interior tissue where microorganisms have access to nutrient-laden juice (Das & Kim, 2010a). Washing with sanitizer is an important step in reducing the microbial population and quality deterioration. The use of chemical compounds to extend postharvest life of fruit and vegetables has become lesser accepted by consumers since these compounds may be contaminant of the environment or harmful to human health. Therefore, the proper application of different sanitizing agents should be highly optimized to guarantee a minimal number of spoilage microorganisms.