Beyond Chemical Preservatives: Enhancing the Shelf-Life and Sensory Quality of Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Hummus with Vinegar and Other Natural Antimicrobials.

Hummus is a traditional and very popular Mediterranean ready-to-eat (RTE) food, with growing popularity worldwide. However, it has a high water activity and is susceptible to microbial growth and post-process contamination that limit its quality and shelf-life. For this purpose, the present study compared the use of several antimicrobials, alone or in combination, for hummus preservation during storage (4 °C), for up to 45 days.