New packaging strategies to preserve fresh-cut artichoke quality during refrigerated storage M.A. Del Nobile a,c, ⁎, A. Conte a , C. Scrocco a , J. Laverse a , I. Brescia a , G. Conversa b,c , A. Elia b,c a Department of Food Science, University of Foggia, Via Napoli, 25 — 71100 Foggia, Italy b Department of Agro-Environmental Science, Chemistry and Plant Protection, University of Foggia, via Napoli 25, 71100 Foggia, Italy c Istituto per la Ricerca e le Applicazioni Biotecnologiche per la Sicurezza e la Valorizzazione dei Prodotti Tipici e di Qualità — BIOAGROMED, Università degli Studi di Foggia, Via Napoli, 25 — 71100 Foggia, Italy ABSTRACT ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received 14 March 2008 Accepted 22 June 2008 Keywords: Artichoke Biodegradable packaging Microbial characteristics Pre-treatments Sensory characteristics Shelf life The influence of both post-harvest treatments and film permeability on the quality loss kinetic of minimally processed artichokes is assessed in this study. In particular, fresh-cut artichoke heads were subjected to dipping in citric acid/calcium chloride water solution, and coating with citric acid loaded sodium alginate, respectively. Three different packaging materials were used: a polyester-based biodegradable film, an aluminum-based multilayer film, and a commercially available oriented polypropylene film. Artichokes quality loss kinetic during storage was determined by monitoring produce appearance, weight loss, pH, and viable cell load of the main spoilage microorganisms. Results suggest that among the selected treatments, coating shows the best performance in terms of artichokes shelf life. As far as the packaging material is concerned, the biodegradable film tested in this work seems to be the most suitable packaging to preserve the quality of the coated fresh-cut produce. Industrial relevance: Fresh-cut vegetables market has grown rapidly in recent years as a result of changes in consumer attitudes. There is a real need to find methods for preservation of minimally processed food products that can gain widespread acceptance by the industry. This paper suggests effective packaging solutions to delay the quality decay kinetic of fresh-cut artichokes. Moreover, the present study proposes a new “green packaging system” that could emphasize the relevance of the obtained results due to the increased attention to the environmental impact. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus (L.) Hayek) is a perennial rosette plant grown throughout the world for its large, fleshy heads (Conti, Abbate, Alessandrini & Blasi, 2005). Most of its culture (about 90%) is concentrated in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Basin mainly in Italy (50 000 ha), Spain (17 000 ha) and France (10 000 ha) (FAO, 2008). The edible portions are the fleshy bases of the bracts, the thick, fleshy receptacle on which the bracts are borne, and the flower primordia. It is reputed that this vegetable has a marked anti-oxidative and health protective potential (Adzet, Camar- asa & Laguna, 1987; Jimenez-Escrig, Gragsted, Daneshvar, Pulido & Saura-Calixto, 2003; Perez-Garcia, Adzet & Canigueral, 2000; Wang et al., 2003). To make artichokes as minimally processed products would be very convenient for its commercialization, reducing transport costs, storage space and preparation time (Yommi, Giletto, Horvitz & Lòpez-Camelo, 2001). However, very few works are reported in the literature on fresh- cut heads, because the technologies successfully applied for other fresh-cut vegetables cannot be entirely used for artichokes, due to rapid enzymatic browning occurring after cutting (Giménez, Olarte et al., 2003). The most successful strategies aimed to prevent browning occurring on fresh-cut fruit and vegetables are based on treatments with reducing agents, acidifying agents, chelating substances and calcium solutions (Martin-Diana et al., 2007; Ragaert, Devlieghere & Debevere, 2007; Rico, Martín-Diana, Barat & Barry-Ryan, 2007). In addition to enzymatic browning, artichokes weight loss is another phenomenon that negatively influences its marketability. The dehydration depends on many factors including the temperature and relative humidity of the storage room, the air movement and the packaging material. The weight loss is a natural consequence of the catabolism of horticultural products, catalysed by enzymes and accelerated by cutting and slicing. The decrease in weight may be attributed to respiration and other senescence-related metabolic processes during storage (Watada & Qi, 1999). There are studies that propose edible coatings, in combination with active compounds, to Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies 10 (2009) 128–133 ⁎ Corresponding author. Department of Food Science, University of Foggia, Via Napoli, 25 — 71100, Foggia, Italy. Tel./fax: +39 881589 242. E-mail address: ma.delnobile@unifg.it (M.A. Del Nobile). 1466-8564/$ – see front matter © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ifset.2008.06.005 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ifset