Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of aqueous solutions of ethanol (25%, v/v) and ascorbic acid (AA, 1%, m/v) alone and in combination, along with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) or vacuum packaging (VP), on the physicochemical properties and microbial quality of fresh-cut Chinese yam slices during 4°C storage. The data showed that ethanol (25%, v/v) combined with AA (1%, m/v) and MAP treatment resulted in the lowest changes for headspace gas composition, color, electrical conductivity, overall visual quality, aerobic plate count population, and mold and yeast population in fresh-cut Chinese yam over 21 days of 4°C cold storage, which was more effective at both inhibiting microbial growth and delaying browning than ethanol or AA alone or a commonly used sanitizer, sodium hypochlorite. The experiment on packaging demonstrated that samples treated with VP and 25% ethanol with 1% (m/v) AA dip can only preserve the sensory qualities of fresh-cut Chinese yam slices up to 7 days at 4°C, but 25% (v/v) ethanol in conjunction with 1% (m/v) AA packed with MAP had antibrowning potential and maintained the quality of fresh-cut Chinese yam slices up to 14 days when stored at 4°C.