Shelf-life extension and quality improvement of minimally processed pear by combination treatments with irradiation

Fresh-cut pears are not yet commercially available in Egypt. Thus, an attempt has been done to produce this minimally processed fruit manually at the laboratory. Fifteen samples of this manually prepared fresh-produce were evaluated for their microbiological quality. Total aerobic bacterial counts (TAPC) ranged from 7.5 x 10 to 3.5 x 10 cfu g-1, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) ranged from less than 10 to 3.2 x 10 cfu g-1; total mould and yeast counts (TM & Y) ranged from less than 10 to 5.3 x 10 cfu g-1 indicating good quality from the view point of microbiological population. Coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli were found in only 2 samples at levels of 20 to 43 and greater than 3 to 9 most probable numbers per gram (MPN g-1), respectively. On the other hand, Staphylococcus aureus was found in also 2 samples at levels of 102. Aeromonas hydrohila, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp., were not found in any of the samples. Fresh-cut pear s were dipped in water containing 2% ascorbic acid and 1% calcium lactate. The dipped fresh-cut pears were exposed to 1, 2 and 3 kGy. Dipping fresh-cut pears in 2% ascorbic acid plus 1% calcium lactate prevented browning and enhanced firmness during refrigeration storage. Irradiation dose of 2 kGy was the optimum, since it reduced TAPC by 99.58% and LAB and TM and Y to un-detectable level. These combined treatments extend the shelf life of fresh-cut pears without affecting their chemical, physical and sensorial quality attributes.