Early Wonder beet roots were minimally processed and submitted to sanitization treatments: control (no sanitization); sanitization after cutting (standard); sanitization before peeling and after cutting; sanitization only after peeling; sanitization before and after peeling; sanitization before and after peeling and after cut. After the treatments, the product was placed on trays wrapped in PVC film and stored at 5±1°C and 85±5% RH for 10 days. Physicochemical and microbiological analyses were conducted during refrigerated storage. Fecal coliforms and Salmonella were not detected in beet roots that underwent sanitization. Total coliforms and psychotropic bacteria counts, as well as betacyanin and betaxanthin amounts were higher in non-sanitized beet roots. There was a decrease in pigment amounts during storage. Post-peeling sanitization is the most suitable for quality maintenance, as it reduces pigment loss, ensures good food safety standards and avoids chlorine waste.
Beta vulgaris L.; pigments; minimally processing; microbiology
