ANALYSIS OF OPEN SUN DRYING EXPERIMENTS

Open sun drying has lost its previous importance due to the fact that different factors affect its reliability and the quality of the products obtained.

One of the set-backs for the analysis of solar drying exoeriments is their deoendence on a non-controlled source of energy, i.e. solar radiation depends on climatic conditions and experiments are difficult to compare. It is thus necessary to investigate the advantages of a particular set up as well as the climatic influences. Open sun drying could constitute the natural reference, allowing the comparison of different drying strategies.

A new way of standardizing drying times, based on solar radiation inout, is proposed, to allow better evaluation of the experiments. An equivalent time is defined, allowing comparison of experiments carried out under different circumstances. Carrots and potatoes were used in these experiments.

The use of the average daily solar radiation 15.28 MJ m^-2.d^-1 in Palma de Mallorca (39.33°N, 2.37°E), is proposed for comparison purposes. An improvement of more than 12 % in the explained variance was observed, the unexplained variance being lower than 1 %.     

Seed-germination inhibition by volatile alcohols and other compounds associated withAmaranthus palmeri residues

Effects of 3-pentanone and eight low molecular weight aliphatic alcohols and aldehydes identifed in the mixtures of volatiles released byAmaranthus palmeri S. Wats. (AMAPA) residues were determined on germination of onion, carrot, AMAPA, and tomato seeds. Three-day exposures to these volatiles significantly inhibited germination of these assay seeds, and the inhibition was dependent upon exposure time and concentration. Based on the degree of inhibition observed in both time- and concentration-dependent assays, the following activity series was obtained: 2-heptanol > 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-hexanol > hexanal, 1-pentanol, 3-pentanone, acetaldehyde > ethanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol. The activities of this group of compounds with that of 2-heptanone appear to be additive and related to test compound volatility and hydrophilicity. 2-Heptanol and 2-heptanone also significantly inhibited the germination of other species, including shepherdspurse, soybean, lettuce, alfalfa, common purslane, oats, and lovegrass.Name of companies or commercial products are given solely for the purpose of providing specific information; their mention does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over others not mentioned.     

添加胡萝卜、燕麦及葵花籽油替代猪背膘对低脂乳化肠品质的影响

研究了添加胡萝卜、燕麦及用葵花籽油替代部分猪背膘对低脂乳化肠(脂肪添加量7%)质构特性、持水特性、色泽及感官品质的影响。单因素实验结果表明,添加胡萝卜10%、燕麦1%及葵花籽油替代动物脂肪50%可较好的改善低脂乳化肠的品质,乳化肠硬度、咀嚼性及弹性与对照组C(脂肪添加量20%)相比差异不显著(p>0.05),持水特性及色泽也得到明显改善(p<0.05),产品的感官评分与对照组C相比更令人满意。在单因素实验的基础上采用两因素(胡萝卜添加量、植物油替代率)三水平设计,进一步优化配方,结果表明,添加胡萝卜12.5%、燕麦1%及用葵花籽油替代猪背膘45%为最优配方,按照此配方生产出的低脂乳化肠恢复到对照组C的质构特性,产品的弹性及感官品质甚至优于对照组C。     

Pulsed electric field treatment of carrots before drying and rehydration

BACKGROUND: In this study the effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment were evaluated during drying and rehydration of carrots. Carrots pretreated with an electric field intensity of 1 kV cm^?1 (capacitance 0.5 µF, 20 pulses) or 1.5 kV cm^?1 (capacitance 1 µF, 20 pulses) as well as blanched (100 °C, 3 min) carrots were used for the study. Following pretreatment, samples were oven dried at 70 °C and then rehydrated in distilled water (1:30 w/v) at room temperature (24 ± 1 °C). RESULTS: PEF pretreatment increased the drying rate of carrots. However, the rehydration rate of PEF‐pretreated carrots was lower than that of blanched carrots. There were no colour differences between PEF‐pretreated and blanched carrots before drying and after rehydration. In terms of texture, PEF‐pretreated carrots were firmer than blanched carrots. PEF pretreatment reduced the activity of peroxidase by 30–50%, while blanching completely inactivated the enzyme (>95%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results suggest that PEF could be an effective pretreatment during drying and rehydration of carrots. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

ANALYSIS OF OPEN SUN DRYING EXPERIMENTS

ABSTRACT

Open sun drying has lost its previous importance due to the fact that different factors affect its reliability and the quality of the products obtained.

One of the set–backs for the analysis of solar drying exoeriments is their deoendence on a non–controlled source of energy, i.e. solar radiation depends on climatic conditions and experiments are difficult to compare. It is thus necessary to investigate the advantages of a particular set up as well as the climatic influences. Open sun drying could constitute the natural reference, allowing the comparison of different drying strategies.

A new way of standardizing drying times, based on solar radiation inout, is proposed, to allow better evaluation of the experiments. An equivalent time is defined, allowing comparison of experiments carried out under different circumstances. Carrots and potatoes were used in these experiments.

The use of the average daily solar radiation 15.28 MJ m^-2.d^-1 in Palma de Mallorca (39.33°N, 2.37°E), is proposed for comparison purposes. An improvement of more than 12 % in the explained variance was observed, the unexplained variance being lower than 1 %.     

Hygroscopic Coatings Control Surface White Discoloration of Peeled (Minimally Processed) Carrots During Storage

White discoloration on peeled carrots is partially due to surface dehydration which can be controlled with hygroscopic coatings: e.g., polyhydric alcohols and salt solutions. This study was performed at 2.5, 7.5, 10, and 15°C, using a model system controlling relative humidity at 33, 75 or 98% or a commercial system with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic film bags. The moisture sorption properties of propylene glycol, sorbitol, glycerol and calcium chloride enabled them to keep the carrot surface moist and maintain a transparent surface layer through which the underlying orange color was visible. This effect was only observed at high relative humidities (e.g., 98% RH). Similar effects were observed on treated peeled carrots stored in LDPE bags. The moisturized appearance provided by the hygroscopic coatings during storage was effective at several different temperatures.     

Water Blanching Effects on Headspace Volatiles and Sensory Attributes of Carrots

Carrots blanched in water for 0 to 300 sec were analyzed for flavor volatiles by dynamic headspace analysis, the volatiles identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and the sensory attributes evaluated by a trained panel to determine quality changes as related to blanching times. Most volatiles, in particular terpenoids (sabinene, β-pinene, β-myrcene, limonene, trans-caryophyllene, α-humulene, β-bisabolene and α-farnesene) decreased by at least 50% within 60 sec of blanching. Ratings on quality attributes of color, texture, raw carrot aroma, sweetness, flavor and overall impression decreased with blanching time, while cooked carrot aroma increased. There were correlations (p < 0.05) between blanching times, flavor volatiles and sensory attributes.     

Quality and Shelf-life of Fresh Cut Carrot Slices as Affected by Slicing Method

The effects of slicing method on the quality and storage-life of modified atmosphere packaged carrot slices were determined using microscopy, sensory evaluation, microbial counts and a range of physical and chemical tests. Slicing caused physical damage, physiological stress and enhanced microbial growth. The severity of these effects were in the order of blunt machine blade > sharp machine blade > razor blade. These findings provide insights into the magnitude and basis of slicing effects and also confirm the importance of gentle processing and the use of a sharp blade.     

Mild-Heat and High-Pressure Inactivation of Carrot Pectin Methylesterase: A Kinetic Study

ABSTRACT: Pectin methylesterase (PME) was extracted from carrots and purified by affinity chromatography. The thermal high-pressure inactivation of the PME was investigated in a model system. Under these conditions, the (thermo) stable fraction is not inactivated and the isobaric-isothermal inactivation followed a fractional-conversion model. At lower pressures (< 300 MPa) and higher temperatures (> 50°C), an antagonistic effect of pressure and heat was observed. A 2nd- and 3rd-degree polynomial model (derived from available thermodynamic model) was successfully used to describe the heat pressure dependence of the inactivation rate constants. From the purified carrot PME sample, the thermostable PME fraction was isolated. The thermal inactivation of this fraction followed first-order kinetics.     

储藏温度对侵入鲜切胡萝卜、黄瓜内部大肠杆菌生长的影响

为研究储藏温度对侵入鲜切蔬菜内部大肠杆菌生长的影响,以鲜切胡萝卜、黄瓜为原料浸泡接种大肠杆菌,分别置于4、12、24℃的条件下储藏,测定分析大肠杆菌在两种鲜切蔬菜中的侵入能力以及在储藏过程中的生长情况。结果表明,大肠杆菌能够侵入到鲜切胡萝卜、黄瓜内部。在4、12℃储藏过程中,侵入鲜切蔬菜内部的大肠杆菌数量随着储藏时间延长而逐渐降低(p<0.05)。当储藏温度升高至24℃时,随着储藏时间的延长,侵入鲜切胡萝卜5~8 mm处的大肠杆菌缓慢下降,而侵入鲜切黄瓜内部不同深度大肠杆菌在储藏1~3 d无显著变化(p>0.05),在第5 d时略有下降。通过比较两种鲜切蔬菜中大肠杆菌的生长情况发现,在三种温度条件下储藏过程中,侵入鲜切黄瓜内部大肠杆菌的生长情况均优于侵入鲜切胡萝卜中的大肠杆菌。