Affiliation:
1. Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
2. Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE), University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Abstract
The cutting operation significantly affects the shelf-life of fresh-cut produce due to the mechanical damage impacting molecular, physiological, and sensory responses, depending on tissue type and tool characteristics. The degree of sharpness (DoS), defined as the force required to cut a reference body, is crucial for this process. A methodology was developed to objectively evaluate cutting damage on fresh-cut ‘Golden Delicious’ apples using three knives at four DoS levels (30, 100, 140, and 190 N) to cut 96 apples into 288 slices. The study assessed color, visual acceptance score, electrolytic leakage, and nutritional quality over 14 days at 5 °C. A two-way ANOVA showed no significant correlation between DoS and nutritional quality. However, a* values and browning index significantly increased with DoS, with values rising from 39.4 and 2.7 at 30 N to 41.4 and 3.1, respectively, at 190 N. The best visual acceptance score (4.0) and shelf-life (14 days) were at 30 N, while the worst score (2.9) and shelf-life (5 days) were at 190 N. Positive correlations were found between DoS and both browning index and a* value, with coefficients r of 0.97 and 0.93, respectively, highlighting the importance of using sharp tools for optimal post-cutting quality.