Sensory quality of ready-to-eat lettuce washed in warm, chlorinated water

Three prepackaging treatments were evaluated for ready-to-eat (RTE) lettuce. Fresh iceberg lettuce pieces were dipped for 3 min in cold water (4C) with 100 ppm total chlorine, warm (47C) water with 100 ppm chlorine and tap water at room temperature. The lettuce was dewatered by centrifugation, packed in breathable film bags (OTR:1600-2000 cc/m(2)/24 h) and stored for 11 days at 1C. Sensory evaluation revealed that the texture and visual appearance of stored RTE lettuce were improved by the warm water treatment. However, heat processing induced changes in the flavor of the lettuce, and a chlorinaceous off-odor was detected by some panelists.