Applying Vinegar as a Disinfectant for Lettuce in Foodservice Operations;A Focused Evaluation of Its Physiological and Sensory Characteristics Effects

In this study, vinegar disinfection was evaluated as a novel method for the preparation of raw food ingredients used in foodservice operations. The test materials were washed and disinfected using three different methods, and were then stored at temperatures of $3^{\circ}C\;and\;10^{\circ}$ for 7 days; Following storage, physicochemical and sensory characteristic comparisons were performed. Temperature for all test materials ranged between 15.2-20. $9^{\circ}C$, water activity was maintained near 0.96, and the pH levels of the samples were 6.44, 6.29, and 6.35, respectively. Residual chlorine levels were generally low, ranging between 0.01 and 0.02. The physicochemical qualities of the samples were evaluated according to the storage method and temperature. Brightness(L value), redness(a value), and yellowness(b value) tended to increase with increasing storage time. The evaluated sensory characteristics included appearance, color, smell, taste, texture, and overall acceptance. With regard to storage temperature the vinegar-treated samples were evaluated as superior, receiving a score of 7.00, and the ingredients stored at $3^{\circ}C$ were evaluated as significantly (p< 0.001) superior to those stored at $10^{\circ}C$. Overall, vinegar is an effective disinfectant to apply in the preparation of raw vegetables that are typically served without heating, and which can cause serious food safety issues when contaminated.

단체급식 및 외식업체에서 이용되는 양상추의 식초수 소독의 적용을 위한 연구;이화학적 특성 및 관능적 특성 분석을 중심으로