The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cut type and pulsed light (PL) fluence on microbiological stability and quality of fresh-cut cantaloupes. Fresh-cut cantaloupes with various cut types (cuboid, triangular prism and sphere) were treated with PL technology at 6 J/cm(2). Samples were exposed to PL treatment at fluences of 2.7, 7.8, 11.7 and 15.6 J/cm(2) followed by storage at 4 ± 1 °C for 28 days. Microbiological quality, headspace composition, firmness, colour, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, total phenolic content and ascorbic acid content of fresh-cut cantaloupes were determined. Spherical shape was found to be the most suitable shape for PL treatment of fresh-cut cantaloupes due to its significantly lowest (p ≤ 0.05) microbial counts before and after the PL treatment. No significant (p > 0.05) effect was observed for firmness, colour, total soluble solids and total phenolic content of fresh-cut cantaloupes throughout the storage study. Pulsed light treatment using 7.8 J/cm(2) was the best for extending shelf life of fresh-cut cantaloupes with extension of 8 days longer at 4 ± 1 °C compared to the control while maintaining the ascorbic acid content. In conclusion, PL treatment is a potential technique for extending the shelf life of fresh-cut cantaloupes by inactivating microorganisms without compromising the nutritional value.
This study was to optimise the alginate coating formulations for shelf life extension of fresh‐cut cantaloupe treated with repetitive pulsed light (RPL). The optimised coating formulation was 1.86% alginate and 1.47% glycerol. The fresh‐cut cantaloupe was coated with the optimised coating followed by RPL using 0.9 J cm−2 at every 48 hr for the first 26 days during 40 days of storage at 4 ± 1 °C. The combined treatment prolonged the shelf life of fresh‐cut cantaloupe in term of microbiological quality with extended 28 and 24 days compared to the untreated and alginate‐coated samples, respectively. The coating reduced fluid loss of cantaloupe while maintaining its physicochemical quality, that is, headspace gas composition, firmness, colour, pH, titratable acidity and nutritional quality such as total phenolic, ascorbic acid and total carotenoid contents. Overall, the combined treatment was more effective to preserve fresh‐cut cantaloupes compared to RPL or coating alone.
Practical applications
Fresh‐cut cantaloupes are receiving great interest due to the benefits of convenience and fresh‐like quality provided. However, fresh‐cut cantaloupes are susceptible to microbial contamination and deterioration as a result of tissue injury caused by fresh‐cut processes. Pulsed light treatment is a nonthermal technique that can preserve fresh‐cut fruits by inactivating microorganisms. However, PL treatment alone is insufficient to preserve quality of fresh‐cut fruits. Hurdle technology by combining repetitive PL treatment and edible coating is an efficient approach for extending shelf life of fresh‐cut fruits in terms of microbiological and physicochemical properties. The results from this study contribute to the knowledge regarding the feasibility of combining RPL treatment and edible coating to further extend shelf life of fresh‐cut cantaloupes compared to the individual treatment. The knowledge can be utilised by food producers for commercialising fresh‐cut products.
This study was to investigate the effects of optimised alginate coating combined with repetitive pulsed light (RPL) on cell wall composition of fresh-cut cantaloupes during chilled storage. Fresh-cut cantaloupes were coated with alginate (1.86%, w/v) followed by RPL treatment (0.9 J cm-2 at every 48 h up to 26 days) during storage of 36 days. Cell wall composition of fresh-cut cantaloupes was determined at every 12 days while microscopic analysis was conducted on day 2 and day 36. Alginate was effective in maintaining high pectin fractions of fresh-cut cantaloupes while RPL showed greater contribution in maintaining hemicellulose fraction. However, the combination of alginate and RPL was the most effective treatment to maintain the overall cell wall fractions that contributed to the cell wall integrity of fresh-cut cantaloupes during storage. The alginate + RPL samples also had the greatest cell turgidity and shape with well-defined cell walls at the end of storage.
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