Minimally processed products are in demand due to their beneficial properties, such as nutritional value functional compound content and ease of consumption. However, those products are perishable foods, especially fruit, with high sugar and enzyme levels that cause loss of microbiological and visual quality.
Usually the industry of minimally processed or IV gamma use sodium hypochlorite as a disinfectant, but the formation of products such as trihalomethanes and chloramines are potentially harmful to human health, which makes it necessary to search for alternative disinfectants.
In a paper a comparative study on the effectiveness of different methods of disinfection in the quality of minimally processed strawberries (Fragaria vesca) was presented. The fruit is processed in a white room by following these steps: receiving, cutting, washing, drying and packaging.
Processed strawberries were packaged in polypropylene trays heat-sealed using a passive modified atmosphere. During a storage period of 8 days at 4°C a quality
(total soluble solids, pH, acidity, color and firmness), sensory and microbiological attributes parameter analyses was done.
It was concluded that the use of lactic acid concentration of 3.0 g L-1 in the wash water was effective to reduce the microbial count, keeping the physicochemical and sensory quality of the product during the time storage.
The present study suggests that strawberries could be a product minimally processed, acceptable and that the use of lactic acid in the wash water could be a good alternative to sodium hypochlorite as a disinfectant, according to poscosecha.com