Quality and Nutritional Status of Fresh-Cut Tomato as Affected by Spraying of Delactosed Whey Permeate Compared to Industrial Washing Treatment

The aim of this study was to examine the applicability of delactosed whey permeate (DWP) treatment on preserving the quality and antioxidant attributes of fresh-cut tomato. Tomatoes were treated with 3% DWP by dipping, spraying and a combination of both, stored at 4 A degrees C for 10 days and compared with the industrial standard, chlorine. The combination of dipping and spraying of DWP showed the best results for all the markers tested. The combined treatment of dipping and spraying of DWP significantly lowered total counts (similar to 1.0 log cfu/g), yeast and moulds (similar to 1.2 log cfu/g), inhibited the loss of firmness (25%) and reduced POD activity (15%) of the tomato slices after 10 days compared to the chlorine treatment. Moreover, DWP-treated tomatoes maintained significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of vitamin C, total phenols and antioxidant activity (DPPH) than the chlorine-treated samples during storage. Sensory scores confirmed that DWP-treated tomatoes retained better aroma and texture. Also, the appearance and overall acceptability were higher than chlorine-treated tomatoes. Thus DWP treatment has potential to extend the shelf life of fresh-cut tomatoes.