Abstract:To suppress browning and microbial contamination during the storage of fresh-cut apples, various treatments were applied to fresh-cut apple slices, including air blast cooling (AB), ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, vacuum cooling (VC), and vacuum cooling combined with UV irradiation (UV&VC). The effects of these treatments on the physicochemical and microbiological quality of the apples were assessed. The results showed that, compared to atmospheric pressure, UV irradiation intensity increased faster with a higher final value (1 277 μW/cm²) under vacuum conditions. During storage, UV&VC-treated apples exhibited significantly lower respiration rate (28.22 O2 mg/kg•h) and browning compared to AB, UV, and VC treatments (P<0.05). Malondialdehyde, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase levels in UV&VC-treated apples were also lower at the end of storage, measuring 63.25 nmol/mg, 25.39 U/g, and 18.44 U/g, respectively. Additionally, vitamin C (0.55 mg/g) and total phenol (1.20 mg/g) contents of UV&VC-treated apples were significantly higher than those of the other treatments (P<0.05). The total colony count of UV&VC-treated apples was significantly lower (P<0.05), reaching 3.33 lg CFU/g on day five. In conclusion, UV&VC, as a composite treatment, more effectively maintains the quality of fresh-cut apples and extends their shelf life, offering valuable insights for apple storage.
