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Refrigerated fruit juices: quality and safety issues
Maria Jose Esteve1, Ana Frígola
1Department of Food Chemistry and Nutrition, University of Valencia, Avda Vicent Andres Estelles, s/n 46100, Burjassot, Spain.
Advances in Food and Nutrition Research
|April 12, 2007
Summary
Minimally processed fruit juices retain bioactive compounds, offering expected health benefits. Minimal processing and controlled refrigerated storage are key to ensuring the quality and safety of fresh-like juice products.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Food Processing Technology
Background:
- Fruit juices are rich in bioactive compounds, but processing and storage can degrade them.
- Consumer demand for "fresh-like" products drives the need for minimal processing technologies.
- Ensuring food safety and minimizing nutritional/organoleptic changes are critical.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore processing and storage strategies for retaining bioactive compounds in fruit juices.
- To evaluate novel processing technologies for minimal impact on juice quality.
- To assess food safety risks associated with minimal processing.
Main Methods:
- Review of conventional and nonthermal processing technologies (mild pasteurization, high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric fields).
- Analysis of the impact of processing on nutritional, physicochemical, and organoleptic properties.
- Consideration of refrigerated storage conditions (time and temperature) on product quality.
Main Results:
- Minimal processing technologies aim to reduce alterations in bioactive compounds.
- Nonthermal technologies like high hydrostatic pressure and pulsed electric fields show promise.
- Refrigerated storage conditions significantly influence the final product quality and safety.
Conclusions:
- Minimal processing is essential for preserving the health benefits of fruit juices.
- Novel technologies and controlled storage are crucial for delivering safe, high-quality "fresh-like" juices.
- Further research into pulsed electric fields and optimized storage is warranted.
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