388 Produce Degradation: Reaction Pathways and their Prevention
TABLE 12.4
pH Ranges of Some Common Fruits and Vegetables
Food pH Ref.Fruits
Apples 2.9–3.3 1
Apple cider 3.6–3.8 7
Bananas 4.5–4.7 1, 3
Figs 4.6 1, 7
Grapefruit (juice) 3.0 1
Grapes 3.4–4.5 1, 7
Limes 1.8–2.0 1
Honeydew melons 6.3–6.7 7
Oranges (juice) 3.6–4.3 1, 7
Plums 2.8–4.6 1, 3
Watermelons 5.2–5.6 1
Vegetables
Asparagus (buds and stalks) 5.7–6.1 1, 3
Beans (string and lima) 4.6–6.5 1, 3, 6
Beets (sugar) 4.2–4.4 3, 7
Broccoli 6.5 1,7
Brussels sprouts 6.3–6.6 1, 3
Cabbage (green) 5.4–6.0 1, 3, 6
Carrots 4.9–5.2; 6.0 1, 3
Cauliflower 5.6 3
Celery 5.7–6.0 1, 3, 6
Corn (sweet) 7.3 1, 3, 6, 7
Cucumbers 3.8 7
Eggplant 4.5 1, 7
Lettuce 6.0–6.4 1, 3
Olives (green) 3.6–3.8 1, 7
Onions (red) 5.3–5.8 1, 3, 6
Parsley 5.7–6.0 1, 6, 7
Potatoes (tubers and sweet) 5.3–5.6 2, 6, 7
Pumpkin 4.8–5.2 1, 7
Rhubarb 3.1–3.4 1, 7
Spinach 5.5–6.0 1, 3
Squash 5.0–5.4 1, 7
Tomatoes (whole) 4.2–4.3 1, 3, 7
Turnips 5.2–5.5 1, 3
Sources: Jay, J.M., Modern Food Microbiology, 6th ed., Aspen Pub-
lishing, Gaithersburg, MD, 2000; Burton, W.G., The Potato, 2nd ed.,
Veenman, Wageningen, Holland, 1966; Banwart, G.J., Basic Food
Microbiology, 2nd ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1989; Dae-
schel, M.A. et al., J. Food Sci., 55, 186, 1990; Sapers, G.M. et al., J.
Food Sci., 49, 233, 1984; Wolf, I.D. et al., J. Food Sci., 44, 1008, 1979;
and ICMSF, Microbial Ecology of Foods, Vol. 1, Factors Affecting Life
and Death of Microorganisms, Academic Press, Orlando, FL, 1980.