Iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa) obtained by conventional and organic cultivation systems and minimally processed was evaluated for the effect of different cultivation systems on shelf life. The minimally processed lettuce was packed in low-density polyethylene bags, stored in refrigerator at 4ºC and evaluated until the end of shelf life period established by a sensorial team. The evaluation was performed during the storage period under pre-determined conditions. At days zero and ten, a skilled sensorial team evaluated the lettuce for: color, brightness, enzymatic darkening, flavor, off flavor, texture and smell (scores 0 -10). The sensorial team determined that score six (6) would eliminate the sample; the organic lettuce took longer to reach the minimum score compared to the conventional lettuce and proved substantially superior to the latter regarding all the attributes tested.
lettuce; shelf life; organic harvesting; conventional harvesting
