536 Produce Degradation: Reaction Pathways and their Prevention
Short shelf life is common in green produce. Broccoli provides another example
of short shelf life and is harvested immature when flowering heads are growing
rapidly [12]. Broccoli should be consumed as the fresh product within a month if
stored at 0°C or 3 d if stored under ambient conditions [13]. The floret buds (Figure
18.5a and b) tend to be more prone to decay than the rest of the stalk and quickly
show dehydration and superficial mold growth (Figure 18.5a and b) upon aging.
Microbial growth also accelerates undesirable changes in color due to the lowering
FIGURE 18.5 (See caption on opposite page)