TITLE:
Impact of Plant-Based Antimicrobial Washes on Sensory Properties of Organic Leafy Greens
AUTHORS:
Kamini Joshi, Patricia Sparks, Mendel Friedman, Sadhana Ravishankar
KEYWORDS:
Plant Antimicrobials, Organic Leafy Greens, Sensory Analysis, Texture Analysis, Color Measurements
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.7 No.10,
August
31,
2016
ABSTRACT: The objective was to study the sensory attributes of organic leafy greens treated with plant antimicrobials
and identify treatments most accepted by panelists. Organic leafy greens were washed
with antimicrobials and stored at 4°C for 24 h prior to serving panelists. Antimicrobials evaluated
include: 0.1% clove bud, lemongrass, oregano, or cinnamon essential oils; 0.1% carvacrol or citral;
3% grapeseed, apple, or 10%/7% olive extract; combination of essential oils with extracts; 3%
hydrogen peroxide; and untreated control. A randomized block design with an affective test was
used and 60 panelists were asked to evaluate samples for preference liking based on a 9-point
hedonic scale and for sensory attributes based on a 5-point hedonic scale. Changes in texture and
color of leafy greens were measured using a Texture analyzer and a Chroma Meter, respectively.
On the basis of preference liking, overall acceptability of spinach and lettuce treated with 0.1%
cinnamon oil was ranked the highest (7.5 ± 1.4 and 7.1 ± 1.7, moderately liked), respectively. For
texture analysis, washing iceberg lettuce with 0.1% oregano oil + 10% olive extract and spinach
with 0.1% lemongrass oil + 1% apple extract yielded the highest firmness values of F = 783.1 ±
53.8 Newtons and 939.30 ± 35.2 Newtons, respectively. Based on the International Commission on
Illumination CIE LAB color schemes, treatment with 0.1% oregano oil + 10% olive extract had the
greatest impact on color of iceberg lettuce with the lowest L value* (44.5 ± 6.2) indicating the
darkest color. These results will help identify plant antimicrobials that have the least impact on
sensory properties of organic leafy greens and are preferred by consumers.