Potential of Ozonated Water at Different Temperatures to Improve Safety and Shelf-Life of Fresh Cut Lettuce

The present study was carried out to determine the effect of ozonated water (2mg L-1) at different temperatures (4 degrees C and 15 degrees C) on the microbiological, color and sensory properties of lettuce. Cold ozone treatment (4 degrees C) significantly reduced the natural background microflora of lettuce. Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli inoculated on lettuce samples were insignificantly influenced by the temperature of water. During storage period at +4 degrees C for 14days, the highest quality was observed from the samples treated with cold ozonated water. Ozone treatments did not affect the color properties and sensory quality of lettuce samples.