Advances in Browning Chemistry Markers, Detections, and Coping Strategies to Preserve the Quality of Traditional Chinese Pickles

Pickles are widely consumed for their unique sensory attributes and nutritional value, but browning during fermentation and storage can significantly damage their quality and impede commercial development. The browning of pickles is a multifaceted issue involving both enzymatic browning and non-enzymatic browning, and many control strategies have been proposed by researchers to overcome this problem. It should be noted that consumers put forward higher requirements for food safety and health attributes, indicating the development direction of browning control strategies. This review provides a comprehensive insight into the potential mechanism, chemical markers, detection methods, and coping strategies of pickle browning. It addresses both enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning through a range of approaches including physical treatments, chemical additives, biological strategies, and genetic modifications. The review highlights the importance of considering the commercial nature of pickles when developing browning control strategies. It emphasizes that these strategies must be widely applicable and feasible for commercial markets. Overall, this work provides some new information in the field of anti-browning of pickles, aiming to improve the quality and commercialization of pickles, while also reducing food safety problems or waste caused by quality deterioration.