Synergic use of parsley essential oil and sous-vide packaging for the overall quality preservation of fresh-cut globe artichoke heads from organic and conventional farming

Consumer awareness of environmental-friendly production practices has driven the growth of the organic market sector. Considering the high farming inputs currently adopted, an increase of organically produced globe artichoke heads can be expected in the next future to be destined for both fresh consumption and industrial processing. Hence, we aimed at defining the suitability of organically grown heads of cv. Tema 2000 to be processed as fresh-cut product. In addition, different post-harvest treatments were evaluated, by differentiating in hypobaric conditions the packaging type (traditional bi-oriented polyamide bag vs. an innovative cellulose bag) and by adding an essential oil of parsley vs. a control. Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of the parsley essential oil to control more effectively the growth of total mesophilic bacteria throughout storage time in both organic and conventional samples. The adoption of innovative cellulose bag was able to prolong shelf-life of fresh-cut globe artichoke heads, also by preserving some qualitative traits (e.g. total polyphenols). In conclusion, a proper packaging choice is crucial for extending the product shelf-life and, hence, promoting the production of fresh-cut organic heads.