Dual effects of acidic electrolyzed water treatments on the microbial reduction and control of enzymatic browning for fresh‐cut lotus root

The disinfection efficacy of acidic electrolyzed water including slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) and strongly acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) on the fresh‐cut lotus roots and their effects on the appearance quality of fresh‐cut lotus root were evaluated in the present paper. The results showed that SAEW treatment could reduce the natural microbial flora populations as well as the inoculated populations of fresh‐cut lotus roots significantly. Also, our results obtained from the present study suggested that SAEW treatment could maintain the appearance quality and market values more effectively than acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) treatment. Considering that SAEW is environmentally friendly and has dual efficacy of disinfection and browning‐prevention, it may be a better choice in the processing of fresh‐cut lotus roots. The results implied that SAEW could inhibit the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, thus keep the overall visual quality. However, how SAEW treatments affect PPO activity of the fresh‐cut lotus roots is still unknown and further research is needed. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: How to prevent the quality deterioration of fresh‐cut lotus root, which limited its safety and processing, had become a serious problem. In the past, the strong disinfection efficacy of acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) and its application in food industry including the disinfection of fruits and vegetables were widely reported. Due to its neutral pH and lower available chlorine concentration (10–30 mg/L), slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) showed a promising prospect in the agriculture and food industry. In the present study, the disinfection efficacy of SAEW on the fresh‐cut lotus roots was investigated. Moreover, the effect of SAEW treatment on the appearance quality of fresh‐cut lotus root was evaluated. This study confirmed that SAEW treatment might have a high potential for practical use in the processing fresh‐cut lotus roots processing.