Microbial Safety, Visual Quality and Consumers’ Perception of Minimally- Processed Ready-to-eat Salad Vegetables Prepared and Stored at Room and Refrigeration Temperature

Raw salad vegetables are evaluated for the consumer’s perceptions on taking ready to eat fresh cut-vegetables and effectiveness of some non-chlorine disinfectants [peracetic acid (PAA), shell powder (SP) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)] in improving microbial safety, quality shelf life fresh-cut (lettuce, carrot cucumber) at ambient refrigeration temperature. Consumer’s perception study results identified three clusters consumers, whose preferences related purchasing styles socio-demographic variables.The overall positive attitude consumers was evident towards convenience, taste appearance, but safety health benefit attributes get importance while buying vegetables.The microbiological visual observation result demonstrated that, all sanitizers used were able decrease bacterial population initially; however, increases or remain constant depending types vegetables, storage temperature duration. In addition, among wash-sanitizers, PAA H2O2 showed better reduction lettuce, cucumber, SP carrot. Irrespective sanitizer treatment refrigerated quality, produce. Therefore, this suggested that washing with produce specific stored keep compared storage. Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 38, Number 2, December 2021, pp 51-62