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STABILITY AND QUALITY OF MINIMALLY PROCESSED ORANGE SLICES
Author(s) -
CHAFER M.,
PEREZ S.,
VARGAS M.,
CHIRALT A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of food processing and preservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.511
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1745-4549
pISSN - 0145-8892
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4549.2008.00181.x
Subject(s) - osmotic dehydration , orange (colour) , chemistry , sucrose , preservative , sugar , shelf life , orange juice , osmosis , food science , chromatography , pulp and paper industry , biochemistry , engineering , membrane
Osmotic dehydration of orange slices (cv. Valencia Late), by applying a vacuum pulse at mild temperature (30C), and by using different concentrations (35–65°Brix) and two kinds of osmotic agents (sucrose and glucose), was studied in order to obtain stable minimally processed orange slices. Optimal processing conditions were established by modeling process kinetics from compositional changes of the fruit liquid phase related with the product stability, and taking into account the two slice fractions (pulp and peel).Tissue structure, and the kind and concentration of osmotic agent influenced the process kinetics. Faster mass transport was observed in the most porous fraction (peel) and at low osmotic solution concentrations. These results allowed us to define the optimal conditions for ensuring the stability of processed orange slices as 25 min of osmotic treatment in a 45°Brix sucrose solution. Results lead to establish a product shelf life of 13 days, a storage time that almost completely preserves the main quality properties (color, vitamin C and respiration rate) and the product microbial stability.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This study is a practical and useful guide for the development of new citrus‐based minimally processed (MP) products, which are not only economically viable, but also microbiologically stable and of a high nutritional and physicochemical quality. The proposed process combines vacuum impregnation pretreatments and osmodehydration methods in order to achieve a fast and slight sugar gain in MP orange slices, thus minimizing the requirements of thermal treatments and the addition of chemical preservatives. What is more, this gain of sugars improves the preservation conditions and the sensory properties of the orange peel in the final product, and allows us to take advantage of the interesting health benefits and high nutritional value of the peel fraction.