Interactions Between Atmospheres and Sanitizers and Their Effect on the Quality and Safety of Packaged Fresh-cut Celery (Apium graveolens L.)

Increased consumption of fresh-cut produce has led to the need to explore more sustainable packaging alternatives as well as effective and safe sanitizers that can meet consumer, market, and industry needs. In this study, the effect of combining atmospheres and sanitizers on the quality and safety of packaged fresh-cut celery sticks stored at 7 °C was evaluated. Three different washing treatments consisting of water, XY12 (sodium hypochlorite), or Tsunami 200 (mainly composed of peroxyacetic acid) were applied. Polylactic acid bags containing an initial gas composition of air or high oxygen (95% O₂ + 5% N₂) and polylactic acid snap-fit packages were evaluated. Changes in surface and cut-end color and Listeria monocytogenes growth were assessed on the celery sticks throughout 14 d of storage at 7 °C. High oxygen packages and snap-fit packages maintained the initial populations of L. monocytogenes during storage, while bags initially containing air promoted their growth. In contrast, the tested sanitizers had no effect on the safety of fresh-cut celery, independent of the selected atmosphere. The in-package gas composition also affected the quality of the celery sticks; bags with an initial gas composition of air proved to be the best packaging choice at maintaining surface and cut-end color while snap-fit packages promoted browning. Sanitizer choice affected the color of fresh-cut celery in snap-fit packages, but not in bags containing air or high oxygen as initial atmospheres. Overall, the high oxygen packages, independently of the sanitizer, showed the best balance of both safety and quality of celery sticks during storage at 7 °C, while traditional snap-fit containers did not help to maintain quality. In conclusion, the gas composition has an impact on the quality of celery sticks, while specific sanitizers can interact with specific atmospheres having a negative effect on the quality of fresh-cut celery.