Improving the shelf life of fresh cut fruits & vegetables
Hello,
i'm looking for solution or method to improve the shelf life of our fresh cut carrots.
We have baby carrots and carrot sticks/ batons.
We wash the carrots with chlorine (100 ppm) and citric acid (50%) in very cold tap water (0.5oc-2oc)
The shelf life is around 11-12 days and we want to improve to at least 14 days.
What solutions or methods do you use in your factories?
Have you tried using a company called Pre-Serve? We don't use their products for shelf-life extension on carrots but do for their potato whitener and acidic solution. The products OP1 and OP3 look like they could come in handy for you.
Andy
Have you tried using a company called Pre-Serve? We don't use their products for shelf-life extension on carrots but do for their potato whitener and acidic solution. The products OP1 and OP3 look like they could come in handy for you.
Andy
There other reasons for the short shelf life. All produce can be effected by weather and growing conditions. How fresh is it from your supplier? Is temperature not ideal anywhere in the temperature chain? How sharp are the blades or knives you are using? Dull blades can cause cellular damage decreasing shelf life and appearance. While chlorine is good, I prefer the per acetic acid/hydrogen peroxide blends. I think they are a bit more effective and tend to impact flavor less.
This is the first time I've heard about this companyNow I read about OP1 product on the company website and it looks exactly what we need.Thank youHadar
No problem, glad I could help :)
There other reasons for the short shelf life. All produce can be effected by weather and growing conditions. How fresh is it from your supplier? Is temperature not ideal anywhere in the temperature chain? How sharp are the blades or knives you are using? Dull blades can cause cellular damage decreasing shelf life and appearance. While chlorine is good, I prefer the per acetic acid/hydrogen peroxide blends. I think they are a bit more effective and tend to impact flavor less.
- Our factory is quite new and with good infrastructure. We have ISO 22000 and also McDonald's standard.
- We frequently change blades and knives. There is low temperatures all over the factory. (computerized system). I know there are some problems with the cooling chain in some of the Super markets and distribution centers (which do not belong to us) . The summer in Israel is very hot and right now the temperature outside is 41OC, 105 OF. We try to solve the distribution problems.
- We buy the carrots all year round from a packing house that works next to us. Harvest begins in March to July and then the carrot is stored in industrial cold rooms.
- We pack in BOPP bags without MAP.
Ultraviolet disinfection - during process at the product, you can easily get a 3+ log reduction. Let me know how I can help, this is what we do.
Ultraviolet disinfection - during process at the product, you can easily get a 3+ log reduction. Let me know how I can help, this is what we do.
- Cutting
- Manual sorting
- Diameter Sorting
- Peeling and polishing
- Hydro cooler with Peracetic acid (80 ppm)
- Diameter Sorting
- Refrigerated storage (between 0-48 hours)
- Hydro cooler with chlorine (100 ppm) and citric acid 50% (ccp 1)
- Packing
Hadar
we are looking at touch points for disinfection or log reduction pathogen control. Post refrigeration for listeria or pre-packaging is key.
I would challenge the pre-peeling to surface disinfect controling outer to inner contamination control. Disinfect outer then cut so surface contamination does not drag to the inner cut.
Post-sorting - disinfecting for touchpoint before going to the cooler.
I would be happy to do a site visit and work with you.
Hi,
I have had a lot of success with Natureseal AS5. It stops a lot of the whitening that you get with the carrots over the shelf life.
Certainly worth asking them for a sample to try, relatively inexpensive to use and very easy to utilise in the factory.
Good luck!