Shelf life of fresh-cut composed of vegetables

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of storage time on the quality of fresh-cut product made up of four vegetables: pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch), carrot (Daucus carota L.), chayote (Sechium edule Swartz), and peruvian carrot (Arracaia xanthorrhiza Bancroft). The vegetables were sanitized in sodium hypochlorite solution (200 mg.L(-1)) for 5 minutes, manually peeled, and then cut by using a processor. The processed product was sanitized in sodium hypochlorite solution (50 mg.L(-1)) for 3 minutes; and only the peruvian carrot was immersed in solution of ascorbic acid (1%) for 2 minutes. The flexible packages of low-density polyethylene (25 x 20 cm), containing 400 g of the mix, were stored at 5 degrees C and RH 99%, for 8 days. The firmness and the L* value of the studied vegetables did not change during the storage time. The a* and b* values of the pumpkin did not oscillate during storage. The a* value of the peruvian carrot and the chayote increased. But the carrot value decreased during the storage period. The b* value of the carrot, chayote, and the peruvian carrot decreased during storage. The mix presented a very low rate of mass loss and respiratory ascension to the eighth day. The steady state atmosphere, around 2,93% of O(2) and 7.06% of CO(2), was reached in the package containing the "mix", from the second day. Presence of coliforms at 45 degrees C and Salmonella sp. was not detected in any sample. During the storage period at 35 degrees C, coliform count increased. It was concluded that fresh-cut product made up of vegetables keeps its quality for 8 days at 5 degrees C.