European Journal of Horticultural Science

Processing Lines and Alternative Preservation Techniques to Prolong the Shelf-life of Minimally Fresh Processed Leafy Vegetables

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Summary

There is still a lack of information about the actual critical points of the industrial fresh-processing chain and on the current and feasible advances in the technologies to successfully preserve the minimally fresh processed (or fresh-cut) vegetable products. It is known that the minimal fresh-processing industry continuously needs to improve their technical support by renewing the processing lines as well as by introducing emerging and alternative preservation techniques, which reduce production losses and provide safer and higher quality products. In this work, an exhaustive review was done to put together information about the most critical points throughout all the stages of the production chain and storage conditions of minimally fresh processed leafy vegetables which determine their final microbial and sensory quality. The first part of the review includes an extensively discussion about the critical points of the production chain of fresh processed leafy vegetables such as cutting and washing. Recent improvements in washing and sanitizing agents such as chlorine, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide and antioxidant solutions, and their advantages and disadvantages are evaluated. The second part of this report is focused on the evaluation of feasible emerging preservation techniques such as superatmospheric O2atmospheres, hot water treatments and UV-C radiation, as alternatives to the conventional ones to improve the final microbial quality and to extend the sensorial quality of minimally fresh processed vegetables.

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