Further evaluation of a new method to investigate antimicrobial, colour retainment and slice healing properties of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) shows differences between conventional and organic production systems in inter-laboratory comparison trials

Food quality is influenced by different cultivation methods and the type and amount of fertiliser used. The resulting vitality of the food and the ability to resist degradation processes were investigated using a vitality test method, assessing antimicrobial (AMP), colour retainment (CRP) and slice healing properties (SHP) of cucumber fruit (Cucumis sativus L.). Five hundred and sixty-four cucumber samples, grown in greenhouse conditions in Denmark and fertilised with different nitrogen (N) levels, were examined, testing cucumbers from conventional (Conv: 145 g N m-²), organic (OrgN-: 70 g N m-²) and biodynamic (BdN+: 122 g N m-²) cultivation regimes. The experimental design resulted in 54 comparisons consisting of six trial repetitions with three measured parameters examined in three laboratories. Every sample was sliced by a slicing tool, producing alternating slice thickness of 15 and 20 mm. The samples were reassembled, wrapped in transparent plastic foil and stored vertically in a heating cabinet for 14 days in the dark. Subsequently, AMP and CRP were scored visually based on a photo reference series. SHP were examined on the horizontally fixed cucumber sample by attaching weights to two specific slices one after the other until the slices detached. The evaluation of the cucumbers analysed by the vitality test method in interlaboratory comparison trials led to consistent results. Cucumbers of the OrgN- and BdN+ variants scored higher in the test than Conv. It was not possible to differentiate OrgN- vs. BdN+ cucumbers. The vitality test is an attractive method for evaluating post-harvest resilience in cucumbers.