Rising levels of antioxidative phyllobilins in stored agricultural produce and their impact on consumer acceptance

NPJ Sci Food. 2021 Aug 2;5(1):19. doi: 10.1038/s41538-021-00101-7.

Abstract

Consumers often throw away faded greens, because taste and appearance are less appealing compared to fresh ones. We report here a family of antioxidants, the phyllobilins, which increase during storage in iceberg lettuce and cucumber. We show that informing consumers about rising levels of phyllobilins leads to a longer willingness to consume faded lettuce and to an improved health and safety perception.