Enhancing shelf-life of minimally processed cut carrots: A comparative study of physical, thermal and chemical approaches

Abstract

Minimal processing is the fastest-growing avenue of the vegetable processing industry, driven by consumers seeking convenience and freshness. Such products have huge demands in hotels, restaurant and cafes (HoReCa) and supermarkets as they enable quick accessibility and availability of fresh-like and convenience-added safe vegetable produce that may also lead to a reduction in food wastage. Minimally processed carrot is a popular segment; under this study, the cut carrots of different genotypes were subjected to different interventions, viz., physical, chemical, thermal and a combination treatment for minimal processing to enhance the shelf life while ensuring safety and quality of cut carrots stored at refrigerated conditions. Physico-chemical, textural and microbiological analyses were done, which indicated that the combined treatment, consisting of thermal treatment, chitosan coating and UV treatment, proved to be effective interventions in maintaining the safe shelf life of VRCAR-134 and Kashi Krisna cut carrots for four days at 10°C storage.