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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The effect of calcium application and solution pH on ready-to-eat (RTE) baby-leaf spinach (Spinacia
oleracea L.) texture and structure preservation was studied. Spinach leaves were treated with calcium
chloride, calcium lactate and calcium propionate, at two different pH conditions (5 and 7), packaged and
stored for 7 days at 5 C. After 24 h, the leaves crispness increased 49 and 29% for leaves treated with
calcium chloride and lactate at pH 5 and the elasticity increased 100% after calcium propionate treatment
at pH 7. During spinach shelf-life, the tissue
flexibility decreased (20–60%) for all calcium treatments at
pH 5 and 7 while tissue crispiness increased (7–40%) only for calcium treatments under pH 7. The
electrolyte leakage increased throughout storage and was higher for all calcium treated samples when
compared with controls. The chlorophyll content slightly decreased (12%) by the end of product shelf-life
and did not differ according the calcium treatments.
Total vitamin C content was lower in leaves treated with calcium chloride at pH 5 (31%) and pH 7 (19%)
while the remaining treatments did not affect vitamin C content.
The different calcium additives tested for potential texture quality maintenance did not provide the
expected benefits on baby spinach leaves but increasing solution pH from 5 to 7 lead to an increased
firmness by the end of shelf-life.
Description
Keywords
Spinacia oleracea Calcium treatments Firmness Quality parameters
Pedagogical Context
Citation
OLIVEIRA, Ana L.; AMARO, Ana L.; SAIN, Jason de; PINTADO, M. E. - Impact of different calcium dips and solution pH on quality of ready-to-eat baby-leaf spinach. Postharvest Biology and Technology. ISSN 0925-5214. Vol. 121 (2016), p. 36-42