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Application of Oxalic Acid to Preserve the Overall Quality of Rocket and Baby Spinach Leaves during Storage
Author(s) -
Cefola Maria,
Pace Bernardo
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of food processing and preservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.511
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1745-4549
pISSN - 0145-8892
DOI - 10.1111/jfpp.12502
Subject(s) - postharvest , spinach , hypochlorite , oxalic acid , food science , food spoilage , chemistry , preservative , shelf life , sodium hypochlorite , ascorbic acid , horticulture , browning , pulp and paper industry , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry , genetics , bacteria , engineering
The effect of postharvest treatment with oxalic acid ( OA ) on the overall quality of two leafy vegetables, rocket and baby spinach, was investigated for the first time. The leaves of rocket and baby spinach were dipped in 1 mM OA solution for 1 min and then stored for 6 days at 8 C . As control, the leaves of rocket and baby spinach were immersed in hypochlorite, as currently practiced by fresh‐cut companies. OA treatment significantly delayed deterioration during storage, with clear benefits for overall quality. Specifically, OA reduced the visual quality loss and yellowing of the leaves, slowing down the respiration rate, ammonia production, chlorophyll degradation and electrolyte leakage. In addition, the antioxidant activity and total phenol content were preserved by OA treatment. Finally, OA reduced the mesophilic aerobic count, with a performance similar to that of hypochlorite washing. Thus, OA treatment might be a valid method for preserving the postharvest overall quality of rocket and baby spinach. Practical Applications This manuscript provides new and valuable information for postharvest handling of rocket and spinach leaves. These leafy vegetables are usually washed with hypochlorite solution. As innovative postharvest treatment, oxalic acid, a natural preservative, can be applied to improve the overall quality, in response to consumer awareness of the use of chemically synthesized additives. One important issue is the control of microbial spoilage with efficacy similar to the normal procedure with sodium hypochlorite. Thus, the proposed treatment could be easily implemented in fresh‐cut companies as it does not require additional facilities or investment; moreover, it gives advantages to processors and consumers in terms of shelf life extension.