Cabai merah seperti cabai merah besar, cabai keriting merah dan cabai keriting hijau merupakan salah satu komoditas pangan hortikultura yang populer dan memiliki nilai ekonomi tinggi di Indonesia. Namun, cabai merah memiliki waktu simpan yang singkat karena mudah rusak dan busuk akibat bakteri. Ozone-nanomist merupakan agen disinfektan yang mampu memperlambat penurunan kualitas akibat pembusukkan dengan mensterilisasi permukaan objek dari mikroorganisme seperti bakteri. Pada penelitian ini, cabai merah segar diawetkan dengan memaparkannya pada ozone-nanomist, lalu kemudian disimpan pada suhu ruang selama 10 hari untuk diamati perubahan karakteristiknya. Pada cabai merah besar, kondisi optimal dicapai pada pemaparan ozone-nanomist 3 ppm dengan durasi kontak 3 menit yang mampu mengurangi kandungan bakteri mesofil aerob hingga 99%, menekan persentase susut bobot hingga 1,01%, serta menghambat penurunan kadar vitamin C dan sifat organoleptik (warna, aroma, tekstur) sehingga lebih baik dibandingkan sampel kontrol setelah 10 hari masa penyimpanan. Hasil yang serupa juga didapatkan pada cabai keriting merah dan cabai keriting hijau. Dengan demikian, pemaparan ozone-nanomist dapat mengawetkan cabai merah besar, cabai keriting merah, dan cabai keriring hijau segar dengan memperpanjang masa simpannya pada suhu ruang. Red chilies such as large red chilies, red curly chilies, and green curly chilies are one of the popular horticultural food commodities and have high economic value in Indonesia. However, red chili has a short shelf life because it is easily damaged and spoiled by bacteria. Ozone-nanomist is a disinfectant agent that can slow down the deterioration of quality due to spoilage by sterilizing the surface of objects from microorganisms such as bacteria. In this study, fresh red chilies were preserved by exposing them to an ozone-nanomist, then stored at room temperature for 10 days to observe changes in their characteristics. In large red chilies, optimal conditions were achieved by exposure to ozone-nanomist 3 ppm with a contact duration of 3 minutes which was able to reduce the content of aerobic mesophyll bacteria up to 99%, reduce the percentage of weight loss up to 1.01%, and inhibit the decrease in vitamin C levels and organoleptic properties (color, aroma, texture) so that it is better than the control sample after 10 days of storage. Similar results were also obtained for red curly chilies and green curly chilies. Thus, ozone-nanomist exposure can preserve large red chilies, red curly chilies, and fresh green chilies by extending their shelf life at room temperature. |