Food Research International 36 (2003) 739–746

www.elsevier.com/locate/foodres

UV-C radiation as a novel technique for keeping quality of fresh

processed ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce
A. Allende, F. Artés*
Postharvest and Refrigeration Group, Department of Food Engineering,
Technical University of Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII, 48. 30023 Cartagena, Murcia, Spain

Received 19 September 2002; accepted 24 February 2003

Abstract
Fresh processed ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce (Lactuca sativa) was exposed to different doses (0.4, 0.81, 2.44, 4.07, and 8.14 kJ/m2) of
ultraviolet-C (254 nm, UV-C) radiation, and stored up to 9 and 10 days at 5  C. While minimal processing did not induce sig-
nificant increases in respiration rate, UV-C radiation did. Consequently, gas composition within bags containing radiated and
control lettuce pieces changed according with the increase in respiration rate. All UV-C radiation doses decreased growth of psy-
chrotrophic bacteria, coliform, and yeast, but only significant differences were found when the highest level was applied. UV-C
radiation seemed to stimulate the growth of lactic acid bacteria, probably due to reduced growth of competitive flora. After 7 days
of storage the highest dose resulted in increased tissue brightness, and browning was reduced when 2.44, 4.07, and 8.14 kJ/m2 were
applied. UV-C radiation at an appropriate dose could reduce microbial loads without adversely affecting sensorial quality of ‘Lollo
Rosso’ lettuce.
# 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Ultraviolet radiation; Minimal processing; Modified atmosphere packaging; Microbial growth; Sensory quality; Respiration rate; Browning

1. Introduction In addition, as many chemicals used as postharvest

It is well known that postharvest losses of fresh fruits
and vegetables may reach very high levels depending on
the species, harvest methods, length of storage, market-
ing conditions, etc. Fresh processed lettuce is a highly
perishable product with a storage life of about 10 days
under optimum storage conditions. As demand of fresh
processed fruit and vegetables increases, growers and
fresh processed producers continue to search for ways
to raise and market products which can withstand
lengthy delays and the abusive conditions in the ship-
ping process, such as mechanical failure of the environ-
mental control devices utilised in shipping vehicles,
storage and display facilities, and simple power failures
(Liu et al., 1993).
There is a need for alternative novel practices for
preservation of fresh processed vegetables quality
attributes during handling, distribution and retail sale.
* Corresponding author. Tel. +34-968-325510; fax: +34-968-
325433.
E-mail address: fr.artes@upct.es (F. Artés).
0963-9969/03/$ - see front matter # 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/S0963-9969(03)00054-1
treatments cause ecological problems or are potentially
harmful to humans, with increasing concern of con-
sumers about residues on fruit and vegetables, they have
been progressively restricted in most countries. There-
fore, safe alternative control methods need to be devel-
oped (Artés, 1995). Current techniques used by the fresh
processing vegetable industry have improved the overall
quality and extended shelf life, but safety is still an issue
of concern (Allende, Jacxsens, Devlieghere, Debevere, &
Artés, in press; Artés, Martı́nez, & Marı́n, 2002).
A postharvest treatment that can be adjunct to
chilling for preserving fruit and vegetables is the use of
non-ionising, artificial ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation
(Maharaj, Arul, & Nadeau, 1999). The efficiency of
UV-C radiation against a wide variety of microorgan-
isms already has been reported (Abshire & Dunton,
1981; Sommer, Haider, Cabaj, Heidenreich, & Kundi,
1996; Wright, Sumner, Hackney, Pierson, & Zoecklein,
2000) and there has long been an interest in its applica-
tion for the disinfection of foods (Gardner & Shama,
2000). Exposure to low UV-C radiation doses has
been reported to reduce postharvest decay of onions
740 A. Allende, F. Artés / Food Research International 36 (2003) 739–746
(Lu, Stevens, Yakabu, Loretan, & Eakin, 1987), sweet
potatoes (Stevens et al., 1999), carrots (Mercier & Arul,
1993), tomatoes (Liu et al., 1993, Maharaj, 1995),
strawberry (Marquenie et al., 2002), apples (Wilson et
al., 1997), peaches (Stevens et al., 1998), lemon fruits
(Ben-Yehoshua, Rodov, Kim, & Carmeli, 1992), table
grape (Nigro, Ippolito, & Lima, 1998), and zucchini
squash (Erkan, Wang, & Krizek, 2001). It has been
reported that reduction in postharvest diseases and
delaying decay in low UV-C radiated commodities
might be related to the increase in decay-resistance of
tissues due to the accumulation of antifungal com-
pounds (Erkan et al., 2001).
However, UV-C radiation may be used in many ways
in a processing plant: for the radiation of food contact
surfaces, of water used for rinsing in food or process
plants or of air in a food preparation area. The equip-
ment is relatively inexpensive, but the technique is sub-
ject to certain safety precautions easy to use, and the
radiation is lethal to most types of microorganisms
(Bintsis, Litopoulou-Tzanetaki, & Robinson, 2000).
Wilson et al. (1997) reported that it is feasible to treat
apples on line during processing with UV-C light for
controlling postharvest decay. In addition high intensity
UV-C lamps have become available and enhanced the
potential of destroying surface bacteria on foods by UV
radiation (Stermer, Lasater-Smith, & Brasington, 1987).
As far as we know, until our recent preliminary report
(Allende, Padilla, & Artés, 2002) there is no available
scientific literature about the use of UV-C radiation for
maintaining quality and extending shelf life of fresh
processed lettuce. Consequently, the aim of this study
was to determine the effect of UV-C radiation for con-
trolling microbial growth of commercial fresh processed
‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce, which constitutes a very impor-
tant ingredient of the mixed vegetable salads. The col-
lateral incidences of UV-C radiation on physiological
activity and sensory quality also were studied.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce pieces
Seventeen kilograms of fresh processed ‘Lollo Rosso’
lettuce (Lactuca sativa), commercially grown in the
Mediterranean coastal area of Murcia (Spain), were
obtained from a local producer. Lettuce was processed
early in the morning and collected just after processing
to be transported to the laboratory (40 min) at about
7  C, where lettuce pieces were placed in polystyrene
trays at 5  C for about 2 h before UV-C radiation
treatments were applied. The quality of the product
upon arrival at the laboratory was excellent; however,
different lettuce sizes were used in the two different
experiments. In the first experiment the mean diameter
of the lettuce heads was 15 cm and in the second experi-
ment it was 25 cm. Therefore, the lettuce used in the sec-
ond experiment was in a more advanced stage of growth.
2.2. UV-C Treatment
The UV-C radiation equipment consisted of a bank of
17 stainless-steel reflectors with unfiltered germicidal
emitting lamps (Sylvania, G30T8, Philips, The Nether-
lands). The lamp bank was horizontally suspended over
the radiation vessel. Polystyrene trays were placed
below the lamps at a distance of 60 cm simulating a
processing line. A wooden box covered with aluminium
foil and supported by a metal framework enclosed the
UV-C lamps, reflectors, and treatment area, providing
UV protection for the operator. In one side of the
wooden box a fan was placed to avoid a temperature
increases by the illuminated lamp. Fresh processed
‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuces were placed in a single layer on
the plastic trays for treatment. The UV-C radiation
doses varied by altering the duration of the exposure
time at the fixed distance. The UV-C intensity measure-
ment was taken with a Blak-Ray J-225 photometer
(Ultra-Violet Products, Inc., San Gabriel, CA, USA) to
determine the radiation intensity of the lamps, which
was measured at nine different positions on the tray.
The final value of the lamps intensity was calculated as
the mean of the UV-C radiation readings.
For the present work, two experiments were carried out.
In the first, five UV-C treatments were applied to the pro-
duct. The corresponding doses (kJ/m2) were (1) 0.407, (2)
0.814, (3) 2.443, (4) 4.07 and (5) 8.14. Because there was
not significant difference between very close treatments in
the first experiment, in the second experiment, only three
treatments were tested. The selected UV-C treatments
were (1) 0.814, (2) 4.07, and (3) 8.14 kJ/m2. Untreated
product was considered as control. After UV-C treat-
ment, fresh processed lettuce was placed in polystyrene
trays and stored at 5  C for about 1 h before packaging.
2.3. Lettuce packaging
A total of 160 bags (package dimensions: 1930 cm)
containing 100 g of fresh processed ‘Lollo Rosso’ let-
tuces and made of bioriented polypropylene (PPB) film
(Plásticos del Segura, Murcia, Spain) were prepared.
The O2 transmission rate of the PPB film was 1800 ml
O2/m224 hatm and 25 mm thickness (data provided
by the supplier). Bags were heat-sealed and placed at
5  C during the storage period. Three replications were
made for each treatment at each sampling time.
2.4. Lettuce respiration rate
The respiration rates (RR) of unprocessed, fresh pro-
cessed untreated and fresh processed UV-C treated with
 A. Allende, F. Artés / Food Research International 36 (2003) 739–746
three different UV-C doses ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce were
determined. Three replicates (150 g each) of each treat-
ment and three intact lettuce were placed within 2-l glass
jars at 5  C for 5 days. An open system with a con-
tinuous flow mean of 22.8 ml/min of humidified air was
pumped into the jars to avoid dehydration and excessive
CO2 accumulation. The O2 and CO2 concentrations
leaving the respirometer jars were monitored daily. Gas
samples were injected into a Perkin Elmer Autosystem
VDE 0871/B gas chromatograph (Norwalk, Connecti-
cut, 06859 USA), fitted with a Poropack-QS 80/100
column at 35  C, helium as carrier gas, and equipped
with a thermal conductivity detector. Initial measure-
ment was taken after 12 h of storage.
2.5. Gas composition within packages
Changes in O2 and CO2 concentrations within packages
throughout the shelf life were monitored. To determine O2
and CO2, samples were injected into the Perkin–Elmer
Autosystem VDE 0871/B gas chromatograph. From
each bag a sample of 0.5 ml of the headspace gas was
taken. Gas samples were taken on the same days than
the microbial analyses for both experiments.
2.6. Enumeration of microorganisms
Standard enumeration methods were used to analyse
microbial quality of the lettuce pieces. Samples of 30 g
from each bag were homogenised in 270 ml of sterile
peptone saline solution (PPS, 8.5 g/l NaCl (1709M
LOT132162160; Panreac Quimica SA E-08110, Barce-
lona, Spain)+1 g/l neutralised peptone bacteriologic
(Oxoid; L34, Unipath, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK) in
a sterile stomacher bag with a Colworth Stomacher 400
(Steward Laboratory, London, UK) for approximately
1 min. Ten-fold dilution series were made in peptone
saline solution, as needed for plating. The following
media and incubation conditions were used: plate count
agar (Merck-1.05463.0500 MERCK KGaA, 64271
Darmstadt, Germany) for psychrotrophic aerobic bac-
teria, incubated at 20  C for 48-72 h; lactobacillus agar
acc. to De Man-Rogosa-Sharpe medium (pH 6.2)
(Merck-1.10660.0500 MERCK KGaA, 64271 Darm-
stadt, Germany) for lactic acid bacteria (LAB), overlaid
with the same medium and incubated aerobically at
30  C for 72 h; Chromocult coliform agar (Merck-
1.10426.0500, MERCK KGaA, 64271 Darmstadt, Ger-
many) for coliforms at 37  C for 24–36 h; and potato
dextrose agar (PDA) (Merck-1.10130.0500, Merck
KGaA, 64271 Darmstadt, Germany) acidified to a pH
of 3.5 by adding tartaric acid for yeast and moulds
incubated aerobically at 30  C for 48 and 72 h, respec-
tively. Microbial counts were expressed as log10 cfu/g.
Samples for analyses were taken on days 0 (production
day), 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 in the first experiment and on
741
days 0 (production day), 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9 in the second
experiment.
2.7. Sensory quality
Ten members of a trained sensory panel rated the
produce using a hedonic unstructured graphic range
denominated interval scale. In this scale, the answer of
the panellists was estimated from a mark on a line of 10
cm. The distance between the left extreme and the mark
were measured. The extremes and centre were repre-
sented as follows: 1 ‘dislike extremely, no characteristic
of the product’, 5 ‘neither like nor dislike, limit of
acceptance from the consumers point of view’, and 10
‘like extremely, very characteristic of the product’. The
interval scales are considered as the real quantitative
scales, because it is possible to calculate the descriptive
parameters (mean, standard deviation, etc.) and to
apply statistical treatments (Ibáñez, 2001). The eval-
uated characteristics were general appearance, aroma,
texture, taste, browning, and color. The sensory evaluation
was done on days 0 (production day), 3, 5, 7 and 8.
3. Results
3.1. Lettuce respiration rates
In previous studies on UV-C radiated and packaged
fresh processed vegetables (Allende, Padilla, & Artés,
2002; Erkan et al., 2001), as well as in the present work,
higher CO2 and lower O2 concentrations were found in
UV-C radiated lettuce bags when compared with
untreated product. This was due probably to an increase
in the respiration rate of the lettuce pieces in response to
the UV-C radiation stress. The RR changes of unpro-
cessed, fresh processed untreated and fresh processed
UV-C treated ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce was measured, as
Fig. 1 shows. Determination of the RR of the product is
relevant because it is necessary to design the adequate
Fig. 1. Mean values of the respiration rate throughout 6 days at 5  C
in air of ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce unprocessed, fresh processed untreated
(control), and fresh processed treated with different doses of UV-C.
Error bars indicate a 95% confidence interval.
742 A. Allende, F. Artés / Food Research International 36 (2003) 739–746
Fig. 2. Gas concentration changes within fresh processed ‘Lollo
Rosso’ lettuce bags of untreated and UV-C treated product from
experiment 1. Product stored under passive modified atmosphere
packaging at 5  C for 10 or 9 days. (A) O2 concentrations, (B) CO2
concentrations. Error bars indicate a 95% confidence interval.
film used in the modified atmosphere packaging
(MAP) technique. As expected, the RR of untreated
fresh processed ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce was lower than
that of UV-C treated tissue. In addition, when UV-C
radiation doses increased, a significant increase in the
RR was always found. In fact, RR of lettuce increased
from 21.1 mlCO2/kg/h. for control to 31.8 for 2.44 kJ/m2,
to 38.9 for 4.06 kJ/m2 and to 41.8 when 8.14 kJ/m2 was
applied. Our results confirm for ‘Lollo Rosso’ those
already reported in fresh tomato and zucchini squash
showing that UV-C radiation accelerates several bio-
logical processes including RR (El-Ghaouth & Wilson,
1995; Erkan et al., 2001; Maharaj et al., 1999).
3.2. Gas composition
MAP is widely applied in lettuce searching the bene-
ficial effects of low O2 (2–5 kPa) and low to moderate
CO2 concentration (2–6 kPa) at temperatures between
0 and 5  C. These gas concentrations have been con-
sidered adequate to maintain sensory and microbial
quality of lettuce pieces (Artés et al., 1999; Gil, Casta-
ñer, Ferreres, Artés, & Tomás-B, 1998). Fresh processed
‘Lollo Rosso’ was stored in passive MAP and therefore,
Fig. 3. Gas concentration changes within fresh processed ‘Lollo
Rosso’ lettuce bags of non-treated and treated product from experi-
ment 2. Product stored under passive modified atmosphere packaging
at 5  C for 10 or 9 days. (A) O2 concentrations, (B) CO2 concentra-
tions. Error bars indicate a 95% confidence interval.
the initial gas composition of the headspace was 21 kPa O2
and 0.03 kPa CO2. The subsequent lowering of O2 and
increasing in CO2 levels was caused by the product
respiration and the gas diffusion rates across the film
(Gil et al., 1998). In both experiments, O2 levels in con-
trol bags were higher than in UV-C treated bags at the
end of storage (Fig. 2). At the same time, no significant
differences in O2 levels among bags with produce trea-
ted with different UV-C doses were found. However,
higher UV-C doses generally induced higher CO2 con-
centrations within bags (Fig. 3). The selection of the
packaging film in this study was correct for the treated
product, and the steady state for CO2 was established,
even when different UV-C treatments were applied.
However, to obtain optimal gas concentrations inside
the bags of untreated product, a film with lower O2
permeability rate should be used.
3.3. Microbial growth
As expected, microbial populations on the lettuce
pieces increased during storage. In order to evaluate the
germicidal effect of UV-C radiation on fresh processed
lettuce, two experiments were carried out. Throughout
 A. Allende, F. Artés / Food Research International 36 (2003) 739–746
Fig. 4. Psychrotrophic bacterial growth (log10 CFU/g) from fresh
processed ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce stored under passive modified atmo-
sphere packaging at 5  C for 10 or 9 days. (A) data from experiment 1
and (B) data form experiment 2. Error bars indicate a 95% confidence
interval. The straight horizontal line indicates the microbial limit of the
Spanish legislation for total aerobic growth, 7 log cfu/g (1107 cfu/g).
10 days of storage, when compared with control, all UV-C
doses reduced psychrotrophic bacterial growth, although
only the highest treatments (4.06 and 8.14 kJ/m2) resulted
in a significant difference, more than 1 log unit cfu/g
lower, on most of the sampling days (Fig. 4A). The
microbial limit of 7 log cfu/g of aerobic counts estab-
lished by the Spanish legislation (BOE, 2000) was
exceeded on day 5 for control, and by day 8 for product
treated with 4.06 or 8.14 kJ/m2. It could be concluded
that these two UV-C treatments prolonged the shelf life
of the product by three days based on microbial growth.
In the second experiment similar results were found.
Psychrotrophic bacterial growth was reduced by UV-C
radiation but only the highest UV-C doses significantly
reduced this growth until day 7 (Fig. 4B). However,
psychrotrophic bacterial growth of untreated and trea-
ted lettuce was almost equal after 7 days of storage. This
fact could be explained because lettuce used in the sec-
ond experiment was more sensitive to UV-C radiation
due to its more advanced stage of growth. Therefore,
psychrotrophic bacterial growth could be enhanced
because of tissue damage. It can be concluded that
compared to control only 4.06 and 8.14 kJ/m2 levels
significantly reduced psychrotrophic bacterial growth.
Our results confirm previous finding in other fresh
vegetables, reporting that the effect of UV-C radiation
743
Fig. 5. Coliform growth (log10 CFU/g) from fresh processed ‘Lollo
Rosso’ lettuce stored under passive modified atmosphere packaging at
5  C for 10 or 9 days. (A) data from experiment 1 and (B) data from
experiment 2. Error bars indicate a 95% confidence interval.
on the inactivation of microorganisms depends on the
dose (Sommer et al., 1996). A reduction in aerobic bac-
terial counts was found in zucchini squash slices when
4.93 and 9.86 kJ/m2 UV-C radiation doses were applied
(Erkan et al., 2001).
The DNA damage inflicted by UV-C radiation leads
to lethality by directly altering microbial DNA through
dimer formation between neighbouring pyrimidine
nucleoside bases in the same DNA strand, and the main
types of photoproduct in UV-C radiated DNA are the
pyrimidine dimers, pyrimidine adducts and DNA-pro-
tein cross-links (Bintsis et al., 2000). Due to the mutated
base, formation of the hydrogen bonds to the purine
bases on the opposite strands is impaired and the DNA
transcription and replication is thereby blocked, com-
promising cellular functions and eventually leading to
cell death (Miller, Jeffrey, Mitchell & Elasri, 1999). The
amount of cross-linking in the DNA is proportional to
the UV-C dose (Sastry, Datta, & Worobo, 2000). In
agreement to these findings, our work show that higher
UV-C doses resulted in a greater decrease of aerobic
bacterial growth in ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce pieces.
Coliform bacterial growth was significantly inhibited
when the highest UV-C radiation dose was applied;
however, significant reductions were found when all the
UV-C radiation doses were used from day 0 to 5 (Fig. 5A).
744 A. Allende, F. Artés / Food Research International 36 (2003) 739–746
Furthermore, only slight differences among different
UV-C doses were found. In the second experiment
similar results were found for coliform growth, after 7
days of storage no differences were observed between
control and any UV-C treatment (Fig. 5B).
For yeast growth, similar results were found in both
experiments (Fig. 6 A and B). Compared with control, a
decrease in yeast growth was observed when UV-C
doses higher than 0.4 kJ/m2 were applied. As expec-
ted, the most efficient UV-C radiation treatment was
8.14 kJ/m2. Our results agree with those recently repor-
ted by Erkan et al. (2001) showing that yeast growth in
zucchini squash slices was inhibited when treated with
4.9 and 9.86 kJ/m2 UV-C radiation doses.
UV-C seemed to stimulate LAB growth and the
highest increase was obtained when the highest UV-C
doses were applied (data not shown). When a UV-C
radiation dose of 8.14 kJ/m2 was applied an increase of
3 log unit cfu/g was found when compared with
untreated product. It has been reported that bacterial
cells differ in their sensitivity to UV-C radiation and in
some of them, photoreactivation, a repair mechanism
that is enhanced by visible light in the blue spectral
range, may occur (Abshire & Dunton, 1981; Sastry et
al., 2001). Therefore, an explanation of the stimulation
may be that LAB could be relatively resistant to UV-C
Fig. 6. Yeast growth (log10 CFU/g) from fresh processed ‘Lollo
Rosso’ lettuce stored under passive modified atmosphere packaging at
5  C for 10 or 9 days. (A) data from experiment 1 and (B) data from
experiment 2. Error bars indicate a 95% confidence interval.
and the lack of high levels of competing microorganisms
could allow a higher growth of LAB. In fact, the
alteration of the cell permeability in lettuce pieces
induced by UV-C radiation may have resulted in a
greater leakage of electrolytes, amino acids, and carbo-
hydrates, which might also have stimulated bacterial
growth, as reported by Nigro et al., (1998) for table
grape.
No development of mould growth was detected, and
their number remained relatively constant from day 0 to
10 (data not shown). Additionally, no significant differ-
ence in mould growth was found between control and
UV-C treated lettuce.
3.4. Sensory quality
As mentioned earlier, the ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce used in
the second experiment was in a more advanced stage of
growth, which affect the quality of the product during
MAP storage. The responsiveness of harvested tissue to
UV-C radiation appears to diminish with an increase in
tissue maturity (El-Ghaouth & Wilson, 1995). Liu et al.
(1993) reported that the stage of maturity of tomato
influences the effectiveness of the UV-C radiation. In
addition, Ben-Yehoshua et al. (1992) showed that UV-C
beyond a certain threshold dose exerted visible damage
to the peel of citrus fruits and the extent of damage
depended on the ripening stage. Our results agree with
these previous findings.
In the second experiment, comparing all tested sen-
sory quality attributes of UV-C treated and control, no
significant differences throughout shelf life were found.
Therefore, for discussion in this section, only data from
the first experiment were used.
Only overall visual quality and browning showed
significant differences among treatments. After 7 days of
storage the overall visual quality for the untreated pro-
duct and product treated with the lowest UV-C treat-
ments (0.407 and 0.814 kJ/m2) were scored under the limit
of acceptance by consumers (lower than 5 in Fig. 7 A).
However, scores for 2.44, 4.07, and 8.14 kJ/m2 UV-C
treated lettuce pieces were always higher than 5. The
worst scores for browning were obtained for control
and product treated with the lowest UV-C radiation
doses (0.407 and 0.814 kJ/m2) and after day 7, those
samples were not acceptable any longer. The limit of
acceptance for browning was reached on day 8 for the
rest of the samples (Fig. 7B).
Based on these results it could be concluded that any
of the highest UV-C radiation doses (2.44, 4.07 and
8.14 kJ/m2) improved the sensory quality of the pro-
duct. However, lettuce tissue became shinier when the
highest UV-C was applied. It was reported that UV-C
might also stimulate the activity of lignifying enzymes
and enhance the protection against pathogenic invasion
(Liu et al., 1993). Ben-Yehoshua et al. (1992) showed
 A. Allende, F. Artés / Food Research International 36 (2003) 739–746
Fig. 7. Score means for consumer acceptance of fresh processed ‘Lollo
Rosso’ lettuce stored under passive modified atmosphere packaging at
5  C for 10 days. Bars indicate a 95% confidence interval. The straight
horizontal line indicates the limit of acceptance by the consumer point of view.
that UV-C induced a shinier appearance on the surface
of lemon fruit and the peel seemed to become firmer.
Therefore, these changes may be related to a possible
induction of lignification-like processes started by the
lettuce tissue to protect itself against the UV-C stress.
Some panellist rejected the shinier tissue of the lettuce
while other panellists preferred it.
4. Conclusions
The use of UV-C radiation increased the RR of fresh
processed ‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce and as would be expec-
ted, higher CO2 and lower O2 gas concentrations were
found in those bags containing UV-C treated product.
Therefore, UV-C radiation causes a stress in the lettuce tissue.
The UV-C treatments were effective in reducing
growth of psychrotrophic bacteria, coliforms, yeast, and
moulds, although they seemed to stimulate growth of
LAB, probably due to a higher relative resistance and
the lack of high levels of competing organisms in UV-C
treated lettuce. The highest UV-C doses were more
effective in reducing microbial growth than the lowest
radiation doses. Therefore, the effect of UV-C was cor-
related with the dosage.
745
When the sensory quality of the product was eval-
uated, for browning and overall visual quality sig-
nificant differences among control and lettuce treated
with different UV-C radiation doses were found. The
best scores were obtained when the two highest UV-C
doses were applied (4.06 and 8.14 kJ/m2), although the
surface of the lettuce became shinier and firmer. These
changes could be related to a possible induction of lig-
nification-like processes.
Our results confirm the hypothesis that short UV-C
radiation doses are effective in delaying senescence and
deterioration in fresh processed vegetables by reducing
the microbial populations and thereby improving the
keeping quality.
Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported by the Spanish
CICYT projects ALI98-1006 and ALI97-0681.
Authors also acknowledge the concession of a FPI
grant to A. Allende by the Spanish MCYT. Thanks are
also due to CEBAS-CSIC for providing facilities.
References
Abshire, R. L., & Dunton, H. (1981). Resistance of selected strains of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa to low-intensity ultraviolet radiation.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 41, 1419–1423.
Allende, A., Jacxsens, L., Devlieghere, F., Debevere, J., & Artés, F.
(2002). Effect of superatmospheric oxygen packaging on sensorial
quality, spoilage, and Listeria monocytogenes and Aeromonas caviae
growth in fresh processed mixed salads. Journal of Food Protection,
65(10), 1565–1573.
Allende, A., Padilla, E., & Artés, F. (2002). UV-C radiation reduces
microbial growth in fresh processed lettuce packaged under mod-
ified atmosphere. In Symposium on Emerging Technologies for the
Food Industry, EMERTEC-2002. Madrid (Spain), 11–13 March
(unpublished).
Artés, F. (1995). Innovaciones en los tratamientos fı́sicos modulados
para preservar la calidad hortofrutı́cola en la postrecolección. I.
Pretratamientos térmicos. Revista Española Ciencia Tecnologı´a Ali-
mentos, 35(1), 45–64.
Artés, F., Martı́nez, J. A., & Marı́n, J. G. (1999). Quality changes in
minimally processed ‘Romaine’ lettuce as affected by several treat-
ments. In M. Hägg, R. Avenhainen, A. M. Evers, & K. Tiikkala
(Eds.), Agri-Food Quality II. Quality Management of Fruits and
Vegetables (pp. 115–118). London: The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Ben-Yehoshua, S., Rodov, V., Kim, J. J., & Carmeli, S. (1992). Pre-
formed and induced antifungal materials of citrus fruits in relation
to the enhancement of decay resistance by heat and ultraviolet
treatments. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, 40, 1217–1221.
Bintsis, T., Litopoulou-Tzanetaki, E., & Robinson, R. K. (2000).
Existing and potential applications of ultraviolet light in the food
industry—a critical review. Journal of the Science of Food and Agri-
culture, 80, 637–645.
BOE. (2000). Normas de higiene para la elaboración, distribución y
comercio de comidas preparadas. Real Decreto, 3484/2000, 1435–1441.
El-Ghaouth, A., & Wilson, C. L. (1995). Biologically-based technolo-
gies for the control of postharvest diseases. Postharvest News and
Information, 6(1), 5–11.
746 A. Allende, F. Artés / Food Research International 36 (2003) 739–746
Erkan, M., Wang, C. Y., & Krizek, D. T. (2001). UV-C radiation
reduces microbial populations and deterioration in Cucurbita pepo
fruit tissue. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 45, 1–9.
Gardner, D. W., & Shama, G. (2000). Modeling UV-induced inacti-
vation of microorganisms on surfaces. Journal of Food Protection,
63(1), 63–70.
Gil, M. I., Castañer, M., Ferreres, F., Artés, F., & Tomás-B, F. A.
(1998). Modified atmosphere packaging of minimally processed
‘Lollo Rosso’ (Lactuca sativa). Phenolic metabolites and quality
changes. Zeitschrift für Lebensmittel Untersuchung und-Forschung,
206, 350–354.
Ibañez, F. C. (2001). Parámetros y medidas en el análisis sensorial. In
F. C. Ibáñez Moya, & Y. Barcina (Eds.), Análisis sensorial de ali-
mentos (pp. 49–61). Barcelona: Springer-Verlag Ibérica.
Liu, J., Stevens, C., Khan, V. A., Lu, J. Y., Wilson, C. L., Adeyeye,
O., Kabwe, M. K., Pusey, P. L., Chalutz, E., Sultana, T., &
Droby, S. (1993). Application of ultraviolet-C light on storage
rots and ripening of tomatoes. Journal of Food Protection, 56(10),
868–872.
Lu, J. Y., Stevens, C., Yakabu, P., Loretan, P. A., & Eakin, D. (1987).
Gamma, electron beam and ultraviolet radiation on control of
storage rots and quality of Walla Walla onions. Journal of Food
Processing and Preservation, 12, 53–62.
Maharaj, R., (1995). The effect of ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) on the
postharvest storage behaviour of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum
Mill cv. Capello). PhD thesis. Laval University, Quebec, Canada.
Maharaj, R., Arul, J., & Nadeau, P. (1999). Effect of photochemical
treatment in the preservation of fresh tomato (Lycopersicon escu-
lentum cv. Capello) by delaying senescence. Postharvest Biology and
Technology, 15, 13–23.
Marquenie, D., Michiels, C. W., Geeraerd, A. H., Schenk, A., Soon-
tjens, C., Van Impe, J. F., & Nicoläi, B. M. (2002). Using survival
analysis to investigate the effect of UV-C and heat treatment on
storage rot of strawberry and sweet cherry. International Journal of
Food Microbiology, 73, 187–196.
Mercier, J., & Arul, J. (1993). Induction of systemic disease resistance
in carrot roots by pre-inoculation with storage pathogens. Canadian
Journal of Plant Pathology, 15, 281–283.
Miller, R., Jeffrey, W., Mitchell, D., & Elasri, M. (1999). Bacterial
responses to ultraviolet light. American Society of Microbiology,
65(8), 535–541.
Nigro, F., Ippolito, A., & Lima, G. (1998). Use of UV-C light to
reduce Botrytis storage rot of table grapes. Postharvest Biology and
Technology, 13, 171–181.
Sastry, S. K., Datta, A. K., & Worobo, R. W. (2001). Ultraviolet light.
Journal Food Science, Suppl.: Kinetics of microbial inactivation for
alternative food processing technologies, 90–92.
Sommer, R., Haider, T., Cabaj, A., Heidenreich, E., & Kundi, M.
(1996). Increased inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by pro-
traction of UV irradiation. Applied and Environmental Microbiology,
62, 1977–1983.
Stermer, R. A., Lasater-Smith, M., & Brasington, C. F. (1987).
Ultraviolet radiation-an effective bactericide for fresh meat. Journal
of Food Protection, 50, 108–111.
Stevens, C., Khan, V. A., Lu, J. Y., Wilson, C. L., Chalutz, E., Droby,
S., Kabwe, M. K., Haung, Z., Adeyeye, O., Pusey, L. P., & Tang,
A. Y. A. (1999). Induced resistance of sweetpotato to Fusarium root
rot by UV-C hormesis. Crop Protection, 18, 463–470.
Stevens, C., Khan, V. A., Lu, J. Y., Wilson, C. L., Pusey, L. P., Kabwe,
M. K., Igwegbe, E. C. K., Chalutz, E., & Droby, S. (1998). The germi-
cidal and hormetic effects of UV-C light on reducing brown rot disease
and yeast microflora of peaches. Crop Protection, 17, 75–84.
Wilson, C. L., El Ghaouth, A., Upchurch, B., Stevens, C., Khan, V.,
Droby, S., & Chalutz, E. (1997). Using an on-line UV-C apparatus
to treat harvested fruit for controlling postharvest decay. Tech-
nology and Product Reports, 7(3), 278–282.
Wright, J. R., Sumner, S. S., Hackney, C. R., Pierson, M. D., &
Zoecklein, B. W. (2000). Efficacy of ultraviolet light for reducing
Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in unpasterurized apple cider. Journal of
Food Protection, 63, 563–567.