Combined Ascorbic Acid and Mild Heat Treatment to Improve the Quality of Fresh-Cut Carrots

Mild heat (MH) treatment and ascorbic acid (AsA) addition can improve the quality of fresh- cut produce when used individually; however, their combined effect remains unclear. Herein, fresh- cut carrots were used as models to explore the effects of MH (50 ◦C)–AsA (0.5%) on quality properties including reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, antioxidants, lignin metabolism, naturally present microbes, and inoculated pathogens (Escherichia coli O157: H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium) during...