Physiological and quality changes of fresh-cut pineapple treated with antibrowning agents

The Physiological responses of pineapple slices to antibrowning agents have been studied. Slices were immersed for 2 min in solutions of isoascorbic acid (IAA) 0.1 mol/l, ascorbic acid (AA) 0.05 mol/I or acetyl cysteine (AC) 0.05 mol/l, packaged in polystyrene trays, prior to storage for up to 14 days at 10degreesC. The use of these antibrowning agents reduced browning and decay of pineapple slices significantly. These treatments also reduced changes in L* and b* values as well as firmness loss. Changes of in-package atmosphere did not adversely affect quality of slices. Slices treated with 0.1 mol/l IAA had the best visual appearance and were more acceptable compared with the control slices. The best results were obtained using IAA, followed by AC and AA. Organoleptic attributes were not affected and no off-flavors were detected in the treated slices. We conclude that pineapple slices can be maintained in good condition for up 14 days at 10degreesC following treatment with antibrowning agents. (C) 2003 Swiss Society of Food Science and Technology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.