Development and characterization of a ready-to-eat vegetable millefeuille enriched with polyphenols

ABALOS, ROSA ANA; AVILES, MARÍA VICTORIA; NAEF, ELISA FERNANDA; GÓMEZ, MARÍA BEATRÍZ

Revista Española de Nutrición Humana y Dietética

Academia Española de Nutrición y Dietética

Lugar: Pamplona; Año: 2023

2173-1292

Introduction: The development of high-quality plant-based ready-to-eat food options can respond to today's dietary demands. The trend of consumers opting for a plant-based diet is on the rise; however, they have few options for ready-to-eat products. The aim of this study was to develop a ready-to-eat plant product enriched with polyphenols using vacuum technologies.Methodology: The physicochemical, sensory and microbiological characteristics of the product were evaluated. A lasagna was designed (layers of vegetables of regional origin -sweet potato (Ipomea batata) Gema variety, Creole zucchini (Curcubita maxima) and dried tomato- interspersed with a binder and cheese) ready to eat, which were vacuum impregnated with an extract of polyphenols. (95% oligomeric proanthocyanidins) from grape seeds. The concentration of polyphenols was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method. The commercial life in refrigeration (0 - 3 °C) of the culinary preparation was determined, evaluating pH, color, texture and microbial count of aerobic and anaerobic psychrotrophic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, molds and yeasts following techniques established in ISO standards. The sensory evaluation was carried out with regular consumers of ready-to-eat products. They evaluated the appreciation of sensory attributes and the general acceptability of the sample on a 9-point hedonic scale.Results: This study demonstrated that the sous vide cooking method improved the refrigerated storage time of the preparation since the microbial load was maintained at safe levels. The sensory evaluation showed a positive acceptance by consumers for most of the sensory characteristics of the designed product.Conclusions: the technologies used, sous vide and vacuum impregnation, could enhance the gastronomic quality of the product, preserve the organoleptic and nutritional properties and guarantee its safety. The designed product could be an option to incorporate ready-to-eat vegetable dish preparations into the market and thus contribute to increasing the consumption of vegetables.