Abstract: A method for inhibiting the formation of white blush on processed carrots, comprising processing tile carrots for consumption and exposing the processed carrots to a solution of citric acid and L-cysteine hydrochloride, in weight percentage ratios ranging from about 71 parts citric acid to about 29 parts L-cysteine hydrochloride to about 90 parts citric acid to about 10 parts L-cysteine hydrochloride, and the remainder water until the citric acid and L-cysteine hydrochloride have been diluted to a combined weight percentage concentration of from about 0.7 to at least about 1.7 weight percent of the solution, the exposing including contacting the processed carrots with the solution for a time sufficient such that the contacting inhibits the formation of white blush on the processed carrots when the processed carrots are exposed to an atmosphere that would result in the formation of white blush on the processed carrots in the absence of the contacting.