title: Using antibrowning agents to enhance quality and safety of fresh-cut avocado treated with intense light pulses.
abstract: The effect of antibrowning compounds on the color and firmness of fresh-cut avocado treated with intense light pulses (ILP), as well as their impact on the survival of Listeria innocua, was investigated in this study. Dipping solutions containing 2% (w/v) L-cysteine without ascorbic acid and combined with 1% (w/v) citric acid and 1% w/v calcium lactate most effectively preserved the initial color and texture of ILP-treated fresh-cut avocado. On the other hand, ILP treatments caused a reduction of more than 3 log cycles in the populations of L. innocua inoculated on fresh-cut avocado. Log reduction levels increased when antibrowning agents were combined with ILP treatments. In conclusion, the use of quality-stabilizing agents is a good option to guarantee both the microbiological safety of fresh-cut avocado treated with ILP as well as to improve its physical and chemical quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intense light pulses (ILP) have received considerable attention during the last years after its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996 as a decontamination method for food or food surfaces. This article presents relevant information regarding the effect of ILP treatments combined with quality-stabilizing compounds as a feasible alternative to improve the physical and chemical quality of fresh-cut avocado as well as to guarantee its microbiological safety.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Biology and Animal Health, Univ. of Oriente, Núcleo Monagas, Av. Univ., Los Guaritos, 6201 Maturín, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Ana Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Ramos-Villarroel
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Martín-Belloso
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Soliva-Fortuny
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003116:Color; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D059022:Food Safety / Q000379:methods*; D008027:Light; D008087:Listeria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D027421:Persea
chemical_list: D003545:Cysteine; D001205:Ascorbic Acid