Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) flour stability: Study of the effect of packaging

GUIOTTO. ESTEFANIA N.; NOLASCO, SUSANA M.; TOMÁS, MABEL C.

Merida

Conferencia; IV Conferencia Internacional de la Red Chia-Link; 2018

Red internacional chia I-link

The production of chia oil generates a press-cake as process waste, which is rich in bioactive compounds. This by-product consists mostly of insoluble dietary fiber with at least 5% of soluble fiber (mucilage) and presents high residual oil content (~12%), therefore could be considered as a new product with potential use in the food industry. The objective of this work is to study the effect of temperature (4 and 20°C) and different packaging types on the storage stability of chia flour during a period of 240 days. The chia flour was packaged in different packaging materials: triple kraft (K) polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and metallized biaxially oriented polypropylene films (BOPP). Oxidative stability and Microbiological analysis were evaluated periodically during storage. Peroxide values of the oil present in chia flour were lower than the threshold limits (10 meq O2/Kg Oil) during the storage period for both temperatures assayed. The free fatty acids content of chia flour stored at 4±1ºC was < 2%, while samples maintained at 20±2ºC overpassed this level after 120 days. Also, the chia flour showed low microbial activity, which could be due to the presence of tocopherols and phenolic compounds. Assessment of quality parameters demonstrated the resistance of chia flour to oxidative deterioration. Thus, these results suggest that chia flours stored at different conditions and packaging materials can be stored without noticeable changes in oxidative stability during 8 or 4 months at 4±1ºC or 20±2ºC, respectively.