Preharvest and postharvest factors related to off-odours of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce

The influence of different preharvest and postharvest factors affecting off-odour development of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce in low-O2 modified atmospheres (MA) was investigated. Fresh-cut iceberg lettuce developed undesirable off-odours under low O2 and elevated CO2 atmospheres. A strong relationship between CO2 concentration and off-odour development was observed. Significant differences in off-odour development existed among different cultivars in two harvests in consecutive years. The influence of maturity stage was evaluated, comparing fresh-cut product from immature and over-mature heads with commercial ones. Higher CO2 concentrations and higher accumulation of ethanol and acetaldehyde were detected in the headspace of MA-packed lettuce from immature heads. Differences in respiration rate of the fresh-cut product from heads cultivated during the winter-spring seasons were around 30%. Respiration rate of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce increased when medium temperature during cultivation increased. Changes in the product weight generated different CO2 levels which correlated with the production of ethanol and acetaldehyde and other off-odour metabolites related with the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway such as hexanal, 1-hexanol, and cis-3-hexen-1-ol. Volatile compounds such as cis-3-hexen-1-ol, β-elemene, ethyl acetate and dimethyl sulphide increased their content more than 10 times compared with other volatiles. Moreover, differences in the initial flushed gas-mixture with or without CO2 showed higher CO2 concentrations and the development of stronger off-odours when samples were flushed with an enriched CO2 gas-mixture. In summary, visual quality of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce is important but so are odour and flavour. MAP currently used for fresh-cut lettuce may need some modification to inhibit off-odours and achieve better aroma and flavour qualities for preserving “freshness” of the cut product. Screening for cultivars with low browning potential and fermentation, harvested at optimum maturity stage and with an adequate package design are recommended.