Methods for shipping broccoli without ice

Abstract

A method for inhibiting the deterioration of processed fresh broccoli during shipment, comprising the steps of processing the broccoli for fresh consumption and exposing the processed broccoli to a solution of sodium citrate, ascorbic acid, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and L-cysteine hydrochloride, and water in which the sodium citrate, ascorbic acid, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and L-cysteine hydrochloride have been diluted to a combined weight percentage concentration of from about 1.00 to about 1.21 weight percent of the solution, vacuum cooling the processed broccoli, and shipping the processed broccoli after the vacuum cooling step without packing the processed broccoli in ice, the exposing step including contacting the processed broccoli with a sufficient amount of the solution such that the contacting inhibits the deterioration of the processed broccoli when the processed broccoli is exposed to an atmosphere during the shipping step that would result in the deterioration of the processed broccoli in the absence of the contacting and in the absence of ice packing.