Research Progress on Preservation Technology of Fresh-cut Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a nutritional and anti-cancer functional vegetable due to its antioxidant substances such as flavonoids and glucosinolates. Fresh-cut cauliflower is very popular with consumers because of its convenience,rapidity and freshness,however,fresh-cut cauliflower is prone to browning and microbial infection in the process of storage and sales due to mechanical damage,resulting in deterioration of quality and shortened shelf life. Therefore,understanding how to effectively maintain the quality of fresh-cut cauliflower and extend its shelf life is the key of fresh-cut cauliflower processing technology. This paper systematically introduced techniques that have been used for preserving fresh-cut cauliflower,including physical(ozonewater,packaging,UV-C,microwave,light,heat,etc.),chemical(calcium lactate,ascorbic acid,cetylpyridinium chloride)and biological preservation technology(microbial antagonism,natural extracts,genetic engineering),which provides the oretical reference for future research on fresh-cut cauliflower preservation.