Abstract
This study examined the effect of adding doors to open refrigerated display (ORD) cases on the microbiological safety and sensory quality of minimally processed and ready-to-eat foods under simulated retail conditions. Food products (lettuce, pineapple, kimchi, and sandwiches) were stored in ORD and closed refrigerated display (CRD) cabinets with the thermostat setting at 5 °C for 28 days. Temperature monitoring results revealed significantly (p < 0.05) greater fluctuations in ORD units, particularly on lower shelves, with food surface temperatures exceeding 8 °C, while CRD units maintained more stable temperatures ≤ 6 °C. The CRD cases had more homogeneous temperature profiles. Bacterial populations in food products increased by 3.2 and 1.6 log CFU/g after 7 days of storage within ORD and CRD cases, respectively. Overall, the food products placed on the lower shelf of the CRD cabinets had the highest appearance, color, firmness, odor, and preference scores for pineapple and kimchi. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-025-02039-y.