Postharvest Quality and Microbial Population of Head Lettuce as Affected by Moisture at Harvest

• Autores: Jorge M. Fonseca
• Localización: Journal of food science, ISSN 0022-1147, Vol. 71, Nº 2, 2006
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Iceberg lettuce was evaluated for yield, microbial population, and postharvest quality either following different irrigation termination (IT) schedules or before and after a rainfall event. Lettuce receiving late (4 d before harvest) IT showed increased weight and diameter, higher aerobic bacteria counts, and lower quality than plants subjected to early (16 d before harvest) IT. Middle (8 d before harvest) IT produced similar yields, and lower microbial population in lettuce than late IT. After rain, microbial population increased by 1.5 and 3.0 log colony-forming units (CFU)/g in outer and head leaves respectively. The results revealed the importance of managing moisture conditions at harvest to enhance overall quality of lettuce.