Sensory quality attributes of lettuce obtained using different harvesting performance systems

Author(s)

Denize Cristine Rodrigues de Oliveira ^[1] ; Paulo Ademar Martins Leal ^[1] ; Sylvio Luís Honório ^[3] ; Eveline Kássia Braga Soares ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Fac Agr Engn, Lab Tecnol Poscolheita, Dept Engn Agr, BR-13083875 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola. Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola - Brasil

^[3] Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola. Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; v. 33, n. 2, p. 239-244, 2013-05-10.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the best lettuce cultivar (American 'Graciosa', 'Vanda', 'Marcela' and 'Lavínia') harvesting method. Therefore, quality and shelf-life were evaluated using sensory analyses. Lettuce heads was harvested with the root on by the producer, so that they were cut in different ways in the laboratory. The samples were stored in a cold chamber at 10 °C and 80% ± 2% of relative humidity for nine days, and the sensorial analyses were performed according to Qualitative Descriptive Analysis method on days 1, 3, 6, and 9 of storage by twelve trained testers. The results were evaluated by variance analysis, principal component analysis, and the Tukey test with a reliability of 95%. The results indicate that there was a reduction in the quality of lettuce between the 1st and the 5th day of storage and that after the sixth day of storage the lettuce samples were considered unfit for consumption, except for the 'Lavínia' lettuce cultivar with root and cut treatment 2. On the ninth day of storage all samples were considered inappropriate for consumption. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/50036-6 - Quality of lettuce in integrated system of harvest and post harvest
• Grantee: Paulo Ademar Martins Leal
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants