Fresh-cut peppers are handy for snacking and in reducing meal-preparation time for consumers. But sometimes that freshness is short-lived.
Though considerable research has been conducted to develop pepper varieties with greater yield and disease resistance, additional research is needed to develop varieties suitable for retail and food-service markets that require fresh sliced-and-diced product.
Plant geneticist and research leader John Stommel and his research team with the Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, and food technologist Yaguang (Sunny) Luo with the Food Quality Laboratory, both in Beltsville, Maryland, evaluated a diverse collection of peppers for attributes that prolong the shelf life of fresh-cut pepper.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: USDA AgResearch Magazine