A New Natural Processing System Based on Slight Carbon Dioxide Pressure for Producing Black Table Olives with Low...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Fermentation Technology

Background:

• Traditional olive fermentation uses high salt (NaCl) brine, linked to cardiovascular issues.
• Reducing NaCl in olive processing is crucial for public health.
• Existing methods for salt reduction require innovation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel natural processing system for black table olives.
• To reduce salt content in olive brine using slight carbon dioxide (spCO2) pressure.
• To assess the impact of spCO2 on microbial growth and fermentation dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Fermentation of olives under slight CO2 pressure (spCO2) with reduced NaCl and citric acid.
• Testing various NaCl and citric acid concentrations in brines.
• Evaluating the inhibition of bacteria, fungi, and yeasts, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Main Results:

• spCO2 fermentation with 6% NaCl and 0.5% citric acid inhibited bacteria and fungi, reducing yeast concentration.
• Higher NaCl concentrations (11%) with citric acid showed a greater inhibitory effect, even with Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• The spCO2 system demonstrated potential for controlling microbial populations in low-salt olive fermentation.

Conclusions:

• Slight CO2 pressure is a viable strategy to enhance microbial inhibition in reduced-salt olive fermentation.
• This method offers a promising approach to develop healthier, lower-sodium fermented table olives.
• Further research can optimize spCO2 conditions for specific olive varieties and desired fermentation profiles.