Application of multivariate accelerated test for the shelf life estimation of fresh-cut lettuce

The aim of this paper was to obtain a more realistic shelf life estimation of fresh-cut lettuce by considering several sensorial, physical and chemical attributes. The Multivariate Accelerated Shelf Life Testing (MASLT) approach was applied, comparing the use of the traditional zero- and first- order reactions with the Weibullian logistic model in describing score change kinetics over time. A total variance of 79.6% was explained by two principal components (PC): PC1 (68.8%) and PC2 (10.8%). The multivariate degradation kinetics was better described by a zero-order reaction, yielding an r² value greater than 0.97, while the temperature dependence of the multivariate rate constant, k<inf>m</inf>, was well-fitted by the log-logistic model. A cut-off criterion of -1.52 was calculated, leading to shelf life estimations of ∼12.4, ∼10.4 and ∼3.7 days for fresh-cut lettuce stored at 0, 5 and 15 °C, respectively. This method provides an overall and accurate description of the degradation phenomena occurring during the storage of fresh-cut lettuce.