Abstract
Background: Cabbage is a widely consumed vegetable that is highly perishable and prone tomicrobial contamination. Processing techniques such as blanching and pickling can improveits safety and extend shelf life, but their effects on microbial quality and nutrient compositionrequire systematic evaluation.Objective: This study investigated the impact of blanching at varying time–temperature conditions and pickling on the microbial safety and nutritional composition of cabbage.Materials and Methods: Fresh cabbage samples were blanched at 80°C for 1 min, 85°C for 2 min,90°C for 3 min, 95°C for 5 min, and 100°C for 7 min, or processed by pickling. A control samplewas left untreated. Microbial quality was assessed using standard microbiological techniques,including enumeration of total heterotrophic bacterial counts (THBC), staphylococci (TSC),fungi (TFC), and coliforms. Proximate composition (moisture, ash, protein, fiber, and carbohydrate) was determined using standard analytical methods.Results: THBC progressively declined with increasing blanching temperature and duration,with the lowest counts observed at 95–100°C, where bacterial growth was nearly inhibitedafter week 3. Pickled samples showed a steady decline (4.6 × 10³ to 1.2 × 10³ CFU/g), whilecontrols retained high counts (>10⁵ CFU/g). TSC was effectively inhibited from week 2 at ≥90°C,whereas pickling reduced counts by week 2. Fungal growth declined substantially at 90–95°C(as low as 4.4 × 10² CFU/g), while coliforms were absent in all treated samples. Nutritionalanalysis indicated that blanching enhanced crude protein and fiber retention, while picklingincreased moisture but reduced ash content. Carbohydrates remained relatively constantacross treatments.Conclusion: Blanching, particularly at ≥90°C, and pickling significantly improved microbialsafety of cabbage while maintaining key nutrients. These findings underscore the potential ofboth techniques as practical preservation methods for producing safe, nutritious, and shelf-stable cabbage products.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Bacterial counts declined as blanching temperature and duration increased.
- Taxon
- cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitatat0 - Treatment
- blanchinge0
- Outcome
- THBCe0
- Direction
- declinede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“THBC progressively declined with increasing blanching temperature and duration”
t0“Cabbage”
Claim · model-written summary
At 95–100°C bacterial growth was nearly inhibited after week 3.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Treatment
- 95–100°Ce0
- Outcome
- bacterial growthe0
- Direction
- nearly inhibitede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“lowest counts observed at 95–100°C, where bacterial growth was nearly inhibitedafter week 3”
t0“Cabbage”
Claim · model-written summary
Pickling reduced bacterial counts from 4.6 × 10³ to 1.2 × 10³ CFU/g, while control counts remained above 10⁵ CFU/g.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Treatment
- Picklede0
- Outcome
- countse0
- Direction
- declinee0
- Value
- 4.6 × 10³ to 1.2 × 10³ CFU/ge0
- Comparator
- controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pickled samples showed a steady decline (4.6 × 10³ to 1.2 × 10³ CFU/g), whilecontrols retained high counts (>10⁵ CFU/g)”
t0“Cabbage”
Claim · model-written summary
Staphylococci were inhibited from week 2 by blanching at ≥90°C.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Treatment
- ≥90°Ce0
- Outcome
- TSCe0
- Direction
- inhibitede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“TSC was effectively inhibited from week 2 at ≥90°C”
t0“Cabbage”
Claim · model-written summary
Pickling reduced staphylococci counts by week 2.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Treatment
- picklinge0
- Outcome
- countse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“pickling reduced counts by week 2”
e1“TSC was effectively inhibited from week 2”
t0“Cabbage”
Claim · model-written summary
Fungal growth declined substantially at 90–95°C, reaching 4.4 × 10² CFU/g.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Treatment
- 90–95°Ce0
- Outcome
- Fungal growthe0
- Direction
- declinede0
- Value
- 4.4 × 10² CFU/ge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fungal growth declined substantially at 90–95°C(as low as 4.4 × 10² CFU/g)”
t0“Cabbage”
Claim · model-written summary
Coliforms were absent from all treated cabbage samples.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Outcome
- coliformse0
- Direction
- absente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“coliforms were absent in all treated samples”
t0“Cabbage”
Claim · model-written summary
Blanching improved crude protein and fiber retention.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Treatment
- blanchinge0
- Outcome
- crude protein and fiber retentione0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“blanching enhanced crude protein and fiber retention”
t0“Cabbage”
Claim · model-written summary
Pickling increased cabbage moisture.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Treatment
- picklinge0
- Outcome
- moisturee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“picklingincreased moisture but reduced ash content”
t0“Cabbage”
Claim · model-written summary
Pickling reduced cabbage ash content.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Treatment
- picklinge0
- Outcome
- ash contente0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“picklingincreased moisture but reduced ash content”
t0“Cabbage”
Claim · model-written summary
Carbohydrate content remained relatively constant across treatments.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Outcome
- Carbohydratese0
- Direction
- relatively constante0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Carbohydrates remained relatively constantacross treatments”
t0“Cabbage”
The same questions in other papers
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- positive
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3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.