The surprising findings should apply to other fresh vegetables and may offer insights into how to keep produce fresher longer, the researchers reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
They may also suggest ways to boost nutrients in fresh foods, said Gene Lester of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. He said the idea for the experiment came to him when he was shopping.
Supermarkets often display fresh spinach in clear plastic containers at around 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees C) under fluorescent light 24 hours a day. Lester wondered if this was good or bad for the leaves.
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