Effects of anti-browning treatments on the storage quality of minimally processed shredded cabbage

The shelf life of minimally processed fruits and vegetables is often limited by enzymatic browning. The organoleptic properties of fruits and vegetables are strongly altered by the appearance of brown pigments. Therefore this study was conducted to determine the effect of dipping into anti-browning solutions namely 1% ascorbic acid, 0.1% sodium metabisulphite (sulphite), 0.5% L-cysteine + 0.1% citric acid, and 0.1% acetic acid on the colour changes and sensory properties of minimally processed shredded cabbage during storage at low temperature 5±1°C; 90-95% RH. Shredded cabbage dipped in distilled water was used as control. The colour changes were assayed quantitatively using Hunter Lab colorimeter and sensory evaluation involved hedonic and quantitative descriptive analysis. The results obtained showed that, 0.1% sodium metabisulphite gave better storage quality followed by 0.1% acetic acid. Meanwhile combination of 0.5% L-cysteine + 0.1% citric acid, and 1% ascorbic acid solution were not effective in maintaining the storage quality of MP shredded cabbage.