Due to safety concerns and increasing demand for high quality fresh-cut produce, there is acommunal need to better understand the implications of sanitizing and packaging on fresh-cutproduce. The effect of bio-based packaging and non-conventional atmospheres on the qualityand safety of chlorine-sanitized celery sticks (CS) inoculated with Listeria monocytogenes andstored at 7 oC for 21 days was investigated. New quantitative descriptive sensory analysismethods were developed to evaluate the color and texture of CS. Additionally, the effect of inpackageatmospheres and sanitizers and their interactions on the growth of SalmonellaTyphimurium, mesophilic bacteria, and yeasts and molds as well as on the physico-chemical andsensorial quality of diced onions (DO) was investigated throughout 14 days of storage at 7 °C.The results show that that the initial gas composition and packaging material both impact thequality and safety of CS. Overall, the combination PLA and 95 kPa O2 proved most beneficial inmaximizing both the safety and quality of CS during one week of storage at 7 oC. The newtexture method involves bending CS until they break and comparing the breakage angle with areference scale and the new color method involves comparing CS to a Pantone®scale. 2-wayinteractions between atmosphere and sanitizer that affected S. Typhimurium and pH in DO wereidentified. 3-way interactions (atmosphere, sanitizer, and time) were only observed in the case ofheadspace CO2. Elevated CO2/reduced O2 and sodium hypochlorite was the best in-packageatmosphere and sanitizer combination for enhancing the safety and quality of packaged DO.
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