Oxidative and Microbial Stability of a Traditional Appetizer: Aubergine Salad

Abstract

An eggplant-based salad, called aubergine salad (AS), is a traditional appetizer and as such, is quite popular in the Mediterranean area. It is widely produced either on a home scale or on an industrial scale and widely consumed. However, there are cases where preservatives (such as sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate) are added in order to extend the shelf life of the product. In the present study, the stability of this delicatessen against oxidation and microbial spoilage was evaluated, with or without preservatives. The physicochemical properties of the salad were evaluated, along with the tocopherol content, resistance to oxidation, and microbial count. According to the results, it is evident that the induction period of AS is 16% (in the case that preservatives were used) and 26% (in the case without preservatives) increased, compared to a control sample (plain soybean oil). This can be attributed to the increased content in tocopherols, and more specifically to α-tocopherol. Furthermore, the addition of preservatives resulted in increased storage days and a reduction of microorganisms. However, in both cases, the AS-prepared salad exhibited a self-stabilization ability after 13 days, negating the need for preservatives.

Ready-to-Use Vegetable Salads: Physicochemical and Microbiological Evaluation

“…Most of the ready-to-use vegetable salad samples investigated in this study did not have a significantly different value for the aw, according to Figure 1. Water activity significantly influences the growth of microorganisms [38], being a helpful indicator of the food products' microbiological stability [41]. According to Preetha and Narayanan [42], high moisture foods with a aw above 0.85 are highly perishable foods that are susceptible to increased spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms.…”

“…Sci. 2024, 14, 3068 7 of 14 activity significantly influences the growth of microorganisms [38], being a helpful indicator of the food products' microbiological stability [41]. According to Preetha and Narayanan [42], high moisture foods with a aw above 0.85 are highly perishable foods that are susceptible to increased spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms.…”