High oxygen combined with high carbon dioxide improvesmicrobial and sensory quality of fresh-cut peppers

The effects of high O2 and high CO2 throughout storage on the microbial and sensory quality of fresh-cut bell peppers from two commercial ‘California’ cultivars grown under different climatic conditions were studied. The ‘Meteor’ cultivar was minimally processed in Leuven (Belgium) and the ‘Requena’ cultivar in Cartagena (Murcia, Spain). The storage conditions were (kPa O2/kPa CO2/kPa N2) 100/0/0, 80/15/5, 60/0/40, 50/15/35, 20/15/65 and 21/0.03/≅79 as control. Bell peppers freshly-cut in cubes were stored at 5 °C up to 9–10 days. Changes in total counts of mesophilic, psychrotrophic, yeasts and mould as well as Enterobacteriaceae were monitored. Individual and total sugars and organic acids contents, visual appearance, color, shriveling, off-aroma, crunchiness, flavor and overall quality were also evaluated. The results in both experiments showed that 80 or 50 kPa O2 combined with 15 kPa CO2 maintained the main sensory quality attributes and inhibited growth of the spoilage microorganisms and Enterobacteriaceae in minimally processed bell peppers.