| Three sanitizers (Chlorine, Tsunami200® and Botran ®) were tested on whole sweetpotatoes, and two (Chlorine and Tsunami 200®) on fresh-cut sweetpotatoes. In addition, four different preservative solutions and blanching were evaluated on their effect on the texture, color, and enzymatic activity of fresh-cut sweetpotato sticks.; Sweetpotatoes were cleaned, manually peeled, spray washed, julienne sliced, water blanched at 90°C (0–4 min), and stored at −40°C. Chlorine was better than Botran® and Tsunami200 ® in controlling APC and YMC for both whole and cut sweetpotatoes while brushing sweetpotatoes reduced populations in less than 1 log counts. Refrigerated, unblanched sticks maintained their color and texture for at least two weeks. Preservative solutions did not present any change in the enzymatic activity of sweetpotatoes. A slight reduction of the enzymatic activity was achieved by blanching, however, no discoloration was perceived in the final product for a period as long as two weeks. |
