Exploring non-thermal techniques to transform the quality dynamics of fruit puree: a comprehensive review

Conventional thermal treatments reduce microbial and enzymatic activity but degrade the inherent quality of the fruit puree. In contrast, non-thermal treatments, including high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric field (PEF), ultrasonication (US), irradiation, and cold plasma (CP) provide better quality retention and safety. In this review, the advantages, limitations, and the effect of these treatments on microbial and enzyme activity, vitamin C content, bioactive compounds, physiochemical and rheological properties of fruit puree have been discussed. HPP proficiently diminished microbial populations and enzymatic activity. PEF and US are particularly effective in enhancing the retention and bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds, whereas CP contributes to the stabilization of antioxidant properties. Also, the current applications, scaling up of systems, and the challenges involved in technology transfer to commercial scale are highlighted. Collectively, these advanced technologies guarantee the production of safe, stable, and high-quality fruit purees while mitigating the nutrient degradation typically linked to thermal processing.