S: Sensory & Nutritive Qualities of Food JFS S: Sensory and Nutritive Qualities of Food Sanitation Procedure Affects Biochemical and Nutritional Changes of Shredded Carrots SA ´ UL RUIZ-CRUZ,MAR´ ıA A. ISLAS-OSUNA,ROGERIO R. SOTELO-MUNDO,FRANCISCO V´ AZQUEZ-ORTIZ, AND GUSTAVO A. GONZ´ ALEZ-AGUILAR ABSTRACT: Fresh-cut vegetables are considered convenient but with less nutritional quality compared to raw natural produce. Carrots are highly appreciated because of their carotene and antioxidant nutrients, but processing requires an appropriate sanitation procedure that ensures microbiological safety to consumers. The effect of the sanitation processing on the nutritional composition of shredded carrots was studied. Treatments tested were tap water, 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite (Cl), 40 ppm peroxyacetic acid (PA), and 100, 250, and 500 ppm acidified sodium chlorite (ASC). Measured parameters were oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC), total phenolics and carotenoids, sugars, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and peroxidase (POD) activity. Shredded carrots sanitized with ASC retained higher levels of sugars, carotene, and antioxidant capacity. ASC also delayed the PAL and POD activity. These results show the importance of evaluating nutritional parameters during processing stages, since minimal processing does not necessarily imply loss of nutritional value. Furthermore, the availability of fresh-cut produce may increase the intake of nutrients, with a positive effect on health. Keywords: antioxidant capacity, carotenoids, Daucus carota, fresh cut, PAL, phenolic compounds, POD, sanitiz- ers, sugars Introduction T he convenience of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables is undeni- able, and the benefits of incorporating them into diet greatly overcome the nutrient losses due to processing (IFPA 2000). Al- though minimal processing and postharvest treatments affect nutri- ents (Lee and Kader 2000), they also extend shelf life and consumer acceptance. Shredded carrots are becoming increasingly popular, and the pur- pose of processing is to deliver to the consumer a safe fresh-like product with sound nutritional and sensorial qualities (Vasconcel- los 2000). Consumers are modifying their diets to healthier choices, and carotene is one nutrient with an increasing intake trend (Prynne and others 2005). Fresh-cut produce is easy to consume, but peel- ing and cutting enhances nutrient losses as oxidation. Moreover, the increase in contact surface extends the risk of microbiological contamination. Therefore, good handling practices and adequate preservation techniques are recommended to offer safe fresh-cut products to the consumer. Carrots are a major source of carotenes, although β -carotene content is affected by various environmental factors such as grow- ing conditions (Brunsgaard and others 1994), processing (Bao and Chang 1994), and storage (Dutta and others 2005). The predominant carotenoids in carrots are α and β carotene and may vary from 15% to 40% and from 45% to 80%, respectively (Heinonen 1990). Thus, carotene quantitation is important as a measure of losses due to processing and storage. Vegetable antioxidants play a major role in reducing the risk of degenerative disease such as cardiovascular diseases, and they play a key role in the body defense system against reactive oxygen species MS 20060443 Submitted 8/10/2006, Accepted 11/16/2006. Authors are with Centro de Investigaci´ on en Alimentaci´ on y Desarrollo, A.C. Coordinaci´ on de Tecnolog´ ıa de Alimentos de Origen Vegetal Apdo. Postal 1735, Hermosillo, Sonora, 83000, M´ exico. Direct inquiries to author Gonz´ alez-Aguilar (E-mail: gustavo@cascabel.ciad.mx). (Ames and others 1993; Gutteridge and Halliwell 2000). Therefore, it is critical to evaluate postharvest treatments that preserve the antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut produce such as carrots during storage. The most important enzymes associated with discoloration and browning are peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). In addition, surface-tissue lignification of fresh-cut carrots leads to un- favorable color changes that reduce acceptability. It has been ob- served that cutting activates the natural tissue defense mechanisms such as increased phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity, the key enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway (Hahlbrock and Scheel 1989). In general, preservation of overall quality is ensured by the use of novel sanitizers and antibrowing compounds. However, there are no reports on the effects of sanitizers such as Sanova  and Tsunami  in the biochemical changes of fresh-cut carrots. The biochemical eval- uation of postharvest processing on fresh-cut tropical fruits such as mango and pineapples has been reported elsewhere (Gonz´ alez- Aguilar and others 2000, 2005). Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of sanitizing treatments on the nutritional quality of shredded carrots simulating a sanitizing commercial process. Materials and Methods Fresh-cut carrot preparation Fresh carrot (Daucus carota L. cv. sativus) roots 3-d old produced in the area of Guanajuato, Mexico, were purchased from a local wholesale market in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, transported to the laboratory and used within 24 h following storage at 5 ◦ C. Carrots with visible damage were not used; leaf ends and root tips were re- moved and the remaining carrots washed with tap water (pH 6.5 to 7, chloride concentration 0.1 to 1.5 ppm and alkalinity 200 mg/L) to remove soil. Carrots were peeled and shredded with a food processor (Quick´N Easy Plus, Towson, Md. U.S.A.). The carrot shreds were di- vided into individual 1000-g portions contained in nylon mesh bags S146 JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE—Vol. 72, Nr. 2, 2007 C  2007 Institute of Food Technologists doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00279.x Further reproduction without permission is prohibited