Shelf-life modelling for fresh-cut vegetables

The influence of various operations during the preparation of the 'ready-to-use' salads on the initial level and subsequent growth of microbial spoilage species was analyzed. The factors considered were the quality of the water used to wash the vegetables, the delay between the washing and cutting phases, and the level of active chlorine in the water used for washing. The dynamics of the processes and the effectiveness of the washing operations play the most important role in the reduction of the contamination level. Furthermore, the use of potential inhibiting ingredients, such as red chicory, and the antagonistic effect of Lactobacillus plantarum were all successful in reducing the growth of hazardous species, such as Aeromonas hydrophila. These effects were modelled on the basis of the results of the Central Composite Design (CCD) using clarified juices. From the results obtained, the inhibiting activity of red chicory was confirmed, but A. hydrophila seems to be counteracted by the presence of L. plantarum, which appears to negate the inhibiting effect of red chicory.