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Quality Improvement of Fresh-Cut Endive (Cichorium endivia L.) and Recycling of Washing Water by Low-Dose UV-C Irradiation

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Abstract

Superficial short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) treatment (1.2 kJ/m2) of fresh-cut endive was combined with conventional cold (4 °C, 120 s) and innovative warm (45 °C, 120 s) water washing prior to and after irradiation in order to improve its microbial and sensory quality including physiological properties. UV-C doses applied exerted only minor physiological stress on the plant tissue, irrespective of the washing procedure as indicated by largely unaltered headspace gas compositions, chlorophyll fluorescence maximum quantum yields (F v/F m), and retention of chlorophylls and β-carotene. Independent of the washing procedure applied, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and peroxidase (POD) activities were slightly inhibited by UV-C irradiation. As a result of UV-C irradiation, significantly improved microbiological and sensory quality was retained during the entire storage period, particularly, when applied after washing. Being applicable in organic fresh-cut production, UV-C represents a valuable alternative to chlorine application to washing water. The most efficient decontamination (2.1 log10 units) of fresh-cut endive was achieved by combining warm water washing with subsequent UV-C irradiation. Furthermore, when UV-C lamps were integrated into the water tank of a continuous industrial washing machine, the microbial loads of the process water were also significantly lowered. Accordingly, in-line UV-C decontamination of process water may be instrumental in minimizing both fresh water consumption and the risk of cross-contamination.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dinies Technologies (Villingendorf, Germany) and Kronen GmbH (Kehl, Germany) for kindly providing industrial processing equipment. Amcor Flexibles (Bristol, UK) is acknowledged for generously providing the consumer-sized film bags. We are also grateful to Klaus Mix, Karin Scholten, and Claudia Lis for their valuable technical assistance and laboratory support. This research project, AiF 17122 N, was supported by the German Ministry of Economics and Technology (via AiF) and the FEI (Forschungskreis der Ernährungsindustrie e.V., Bonn, Germany).

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Florian Hägele, Ralf M. Schweiggert, Svenja Baur & Reinhold Carle

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

    Simone Nübling, Agnes Weiss & Herbert Schmidt

  3. Department of Weed Science, Institute of Phytomedicine, University of Hohenheim, Otto-Sander-Strasse 5, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    Alexander Menegat & Roland Gerhards

  4. Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7043, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden

    Alexander Menegat

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

    Reinhold Carle

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  1. Florian Hägele
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  2. Simone Nübling
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  9. Reinhold Carle
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Correspondence to Ralf M. Schweiggert.

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Hägele, F., Nübling, S., Schweiggert, R.M. et al. Quality Improvement of Fresh-Cut Endive (Cichorium endivia L.) and Recycling of Washing Water by Low-Dose UV-C Irradiation. Food Bioprocess Technol 9, 1979–1990 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-016-1782-2

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