Advances in the use of white light on broccoli and kale postharvest shelf life

Abstract

In this work, the effect of irradiation with three different intensities of white light-emitting diodes (LED) on the quality and senescence of refrigerated broccoli and green and red kale was studied. A high increase in weight loss was observed in samples exposed to high (80 μmol m−2 s−1) and low (10 μmol m−2 s−1) LED intensity. Samples stored under mid-intensity (30 μmol m−2 s−1) significantly reduced the change of total color (∆E), hue angle, and lightness (L*) values. Broccoli florets and green kale subjected to mid-intensity illumination retained higher chlorophyll levels than the other treatments (P < 0.05), and about 30% more compared to the dark stored samples. These differences were even more evident in red kale. Mid-intensity illumination also markedly reduced sugar losses and improved carotenoid contents. As a whole, results show that the selected intensity of white light used for postharvest illumination has a key influence on treatment efficacy. Industrial relevance: Postharvest shelf life of green vegetables is very limited and there is a need to use environmentally friendly tools to extend it. The use of white light during storage has been proven to be a clean and non-chemical methodology to delay vegetable senescence, but the appropriate illumination conditions to maximize the quality of unprocessed vegetables are still unknown. In the present work, the effect of different lighting conditions on the visual and nutraceutical quality of refrigerated broccoli and green and purple kale was studied, and the best condition was defined. The selected light intensity may be considered for fresh market storage.