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Quality of fresh-cut radicchio cv. Rosso di Chioggia (Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum Hegi) as affected by water jet cutting and different washing procedures

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Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of water jet cutting (nozzle diameter 0.1 mm, pressure 2,500 bar) versus conventional blade cutting as well as washing (4 °C, 120 s) prior to and after shredding on the quality of fresh-cut radicchio, respectively. For this purpose, fresh-cut radicchio cv. Rosso di Chioggia was produced on pilot-plant scale applying five different processing lines. Throughout storage (4 °C, up to 12 days), O2 and CO2 levels in the modified atmosphere of the consumer-sized sample bags were monitored, as well as phenylalanine ammonia lyase activities, levels of anthocyanins and bitter sesquiterpene lactones (SLs). Furthermore, bacterial viable counts of fresh-cut products and process waters, and the chemical oxygen demand of the process waters were assessed. Throughout storage, water jet cutting did not alter the physiological condition nor the microbiological quality of the fresh-cut produce compared to blade cutting using a newly sharpened blade. Moreover, leaching of SLs through washing was comparable in blade and water jet cut samples. Thus, a similar degree of tissue wounding due to both cutting techniques applied may be assumed. Washing radicchio prior to shredding resulted in reduced leaching of SLs and a lower degree of microbial and organic contamination of the process water. However, compared to conventional washing, pre-washing was slightly less effective in reducing microbial counts on the produce. While levels of anthocyanins remained constant throughout storage, unaffected by different processing, SL profiles substantially changed in samples of all processing lines.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Kronen GmbH (Kehl, Germany) for the generous allocation of industrial equipment, and Amcor Flexibles Europe (Bristol, UK) for kindly donating the film bags. Furthermore, we are grateful to Klaus Mix for his excellent technical assistance, and gratefully acknowledge Martina Rebmann’s valuable laboratory support. The present work is part of a project funded by the Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau und andere Formen nachhaltiger Landwirtschaft (BÖL, German Federal Organic Farming Scheme and Other Types of Sustainable Agriculture); Support Reference Number: 2811OE121.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair Plant Foodstuff Technology, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Hohenheim University, Garbenstrasse 25, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    Sabine Wulfkuehler, Johann Dietz & Reinhold Carle

  2. Department of Food Microbiology, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Hohenheim University, Garbenstrasse 28, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    Herbert Schmidt & Agnes Weiss

  3. Biological Science Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80257, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia

    Reinhold Carle

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  1. Sabine Wulfkuehler
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Correspondence to Sabine Wulfkuehler.

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Wulfkuehler, S., Dietz, J., Schmidt, H. et al. Quality of fresh-cut radicchio cv. Rosso di Chioggia (Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum Hegi) as affected by water jet cutting and different washing procedures. Eur Food Res Technol 240, 159–172 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-014-2317-6

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