Supercooling storage inhibits the browning and quality degradation of fresh-cut potatoes

This research investigated how supercooling (SC) can inhibit browning and prevent quality degradation in fresh-cut potatoes by analyzing surface color, texture, phenolic metabolism, membrane stability, antioxidant activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) equilibrium. Consequently, during SC storage at −2 °C, the browning index (BI) of 197.24 in the SC group was 5.65 times lower compared to the control group, and the hardness loss rate was 20.24% lower than that of the control group. At the same time, the microbial colony counts were reduced. Supercooling reduced the extent of membrane lipid peroxidation in potatoes, leading to significantly lower levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity compared to the control group. Moreover, the activities of browning-related enzymes, peroxidase (PPO), and polyphenol oxidase (POD), were reduced by 21.9% and 7.6%, respectively, compared to the control group. The inhibition of total phenolics (TP), and total flavonoids (TF) decreased the substrates and enzymes associated with browning, collectively mitigating the browning of fresh-cut potatoes. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut potatoes was better preserved during SC storage, with lower hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and superoxide anion (·O⁻₂) levels than the control group, suppressing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Overall, SC significantly inhibited browning, and delayed quality decline in fresh-cut potatoes.