Question

6. You wanted to buy lettuce for your salad. In the grocery store, you found a head of lettuce in the fresh vegetable section. You also found a sealed bag of pre-packaged refrigerated lettuce. Answer the following questions based on these two types of lettuces. a. In their original condition (unopened package in refrigerated condition vs fresh head of lettuce in ambient condition), which one would deteriorate faster? Explain your answer. (2 points) b. How the gas composition of the sealed bag of pre-packaged refrigerated lettuce is modified? Explain the advantage and disadvantages of such packaging. (4 points) c. You bought the fresh head of lettuce and kept it in the refrigerator for storage. However, due to lack of space, you put it in the fruit tray with some fruits. Is this a good idea? Why or why not? (2 points) d. Over a period of time in the refrigerator you noticed wilting of the lettuce. What could be the reason? (2 points)

Answer 1

Ans(a): The lettuce in refrigerated condition will deteriorate faster, if both type of lettuce are placed in same environment. This is because lettuce in refrigerated condition older than lettuce in ambient condition. So, there will be more microbial growth in lettuce kept in refigerated condition. Refrigeration doesnot prevent the microbial growth completely. However, lettuce in ambiant condition is fully fresh and does not have much microbial growth in it.

Ans(b): Amount of oxygen is reduced and amount of inert gas like nitrogen is kept high, in the gas filled in sealed bag of pre-packaged lettuce to prevent the oxidation which is main cause of microbial growth and its deterioration.

Ans(c): Keeping lettuce with is not a good idea bacause microbial growth occurs fastly in fruits than lettuce. If lettuce is kept with fruits it will get deteriorate at a faster rate.

Ans(d): As discussed above that refrigeration cannot stop the growth of microbes completely. It can only slower down the microbial growth. Hence, microbial growth will be slower but definitely it will occur, which will cause the wilting of lettuce. Also, there is dehydration in the lettuce in refrigeration which also causes wilting of lettuce.