Effect of washing-disinfection conditions on total anthocyanin retention and color of fresh-cut strawberries

FRANCO VAN DE VELDE; MARÍA ÉLIDA PIROVANI; DANIEL GÜEMES; ANDREA PIAGENTINI

Color in food. Technological and psycophysical aspects

CRC Press. Tayloa & Francis Group

Lugar: New York ; Año: 2012; p. 219 - 226

The aim of this work was to evaluate the total anthocyanins retention and color changes of fresh-cut strawberries after peracetic acid (PA) washing-disinfection at different times and temperatures. Response Surface Methodology was used with a Box-Benhken three-level, three-factor design (PA concentration: 0-100 ppm; time: 10-120 s; and temperature: 4-40 °C). The responses were: total anthocyanins retention and color parameters. Total anthocyanins content of the untreated strawberries were 24.8 mgP3G/100gfw. The peracetic acid concentration and time (linear terms), and temperature (interaction term with time) were significant for the total anthocyanin retention model. The anthocyanin retention decreased as both PA concentration and time increased. The only instrumental color parameters affected by process were L* and a*. PA concentration was significant (p ≤ 0.05), for L* and a* parameters (linear and quadratic term, respectively). The parameter a* was significantly affected by temperature too (quadratic term). a* values decreased as both PA concentration and temperature increased and L* values increased as PA concentration increased. The predictive models obtained were shown to be adequate and could be used as a way of improving the washing-disinfection operation.