Quality parameters in apple cubes immersed in orange juice and packaged in plastic films

ANDRES, GIANNUZZI, AND ZARITZKY N

LEBENSMITTEL-WISSENSCHAFT UND-TECHNOLOGIE-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2002 vol. 35 p. 670 - 679

0023-6438

The quality of apple cubes (Red Delicious and Granny Smith) maintained in pasteurised or fresh orange juice with sucrose and chemical preservatives: acidulants (citric and ascorbic acids) and potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate, packaged in plastic films of different gaseous permeability (polyethylene (PE) and EVA-SARAN-EVA (ESE)), was analysed during storage at 10 1C. Surface colour, microbial growth and instrumental texture changes were measured. Microbial flora was identified, and its growth was mathematically modelled. Shelf-life values of 10 d in polyethylene and higher than 25 d in ESE film, maintaining acceptable quality attributes, were obtained for both apple varieties in pasteurised juices. For Red Delicious in unpasteurised orange juice with acidulants and potassium sorbate (0.125–0.250 g/kg), shelf-life values were 7.5–8.5 d in PE and higher than 15 d in ESE film. For Granny Smith apples in unpasteurised juice without potassium sorbate, shelf-life values were 10 d in PE and higher than 15 d in ESE.Higher concentrations (0.375–0.50 g/kg) of potassium sorbate adversely affected colour. Sodium benzoate was discarded as preservative because it produced severe browning in both apple varieties. All the samples showed safe sanitary conditions; coliforms microorganisms did not grow in any of the tested conditions.