Preservation of a highly perishable food, watermelon juice, at and above room temperature under mild pressure (hyperbaric storage) as an alternative to refrigeration. Issue 1 (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Santos, Mauro D.; Queirós, Rui P.; Fidalgo, Liliana G.; Inácio, Rita S.; Lopes, Rita P.; Mota, Maria J.; Sousa, Sílvia G.; Delgadillo, Ivonne; Saraiva, Jorge A.
• Is Part Of: Lebensmittel-Wissenschaft + Technologie =. Volume 62:Issue 1(2015:Jun.)Part 2
• Page Start: 901
• Page End: 905
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: Hyperbaric storage -- Pressure -- Food preservation -- Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) juice -- Refrigeration; Food industry and trade -- Periodicals; Food -- Composition -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Nutrition -- Periodicals; 664.005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2014.06.055
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0023-6438

Abstract

Abstract: The feasibility of food preservation under pressure (hyperbaric storage) at and above room temperatures, as an alternative to refrigeration was evaluated. Preservation of a highly perishable food, watermelon juice, was studied at pressures of 25–150 MPa and temperatures ranging 20–37 °C, being compared to refrigeration and storage at atmospheric pressure at the same temperatures. Hyperbaric storage at 75 MPa (20–37 °C) revealed an inhibitory effect on microbial growth, with at least an equal performance compared to refrigeration. An additional inactivation effect was verified for storage at 100 and 150 MPa, with reduction of the initial microbial counts to ≤1.00 Log CFU/mL for enterobacteriaceae and yeasts and moulds, and from 4.43 ± 0.04 to 3.31 ± 0.04 and 2.99 ± 0.07 Log CFU/mL, respectively, for total aerobic mesophiles (25 °C). In general, pH, titratable acidity and total soluble solids did not show a clear variation trend with pressure and no considerable differences among storage conditions were verified. Cloudiness decreased for samples stored under pressure and browning degree was in general lower in samples stored under pressure compared to refrigeration. This work demonstrates the potentiality of hyperbaric storage as a new preservation methodology, at variable (uncontrolled) room temperature without energetic costs during storage, as an alternative to refrigeration. Highlights: Watermelon juice can be preserved under mild pressure at and above room temperature. At 75 MPa results were due to microbial inhibition and comparable to refrigeration. At 100 and 150 MPa microbial inactivation also occurred reducing the microbial load. At 100 and 150 MPa preservation performance was better than refrigeration. Food preservation is feasible under pressure at variable temperature (20–37 °C).