Pasteurization of Apple Juice Contaminated with Escherichia coli by a Combined UV–Mild Temperature Treatment

The bactericidal efficacy of ultraviolet (UV) treatments to fruit juices is limited because of their low UV transmittance; therefore, it is necessary to design combined processes to improve their lethality. This investigation was carried out to determinate the lethal effect of UV-C treatments at mild temperatures (UV-H treatments) on the UV-resistant Escherichia coli strain Spanish Type Culture Collection (STCC) 4201 suspended in apple juice. A synergistic effect was observed and the optimum temperature for the combined process was established. Subsequently, the effect of the optimized treatment on the lethality of an E. coli cocktail (STCC 4201, STCC 471, American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 27325, ATCC 25922, and O157:H7 Chapman strain) and on freshly squeezed apple juice quality was evaluated. A UV treatment of 20.33 J/mL reached 0.61?±?0.01, 0.83?±?0.07, 1.38?±?0.04, 1.97?±?0.06, 3.72?±?0.14, 5.67?±?0.61, and more than 6 log₁₀ cycles of inactivation at 25.0, 40.0, 50.0, 52.5, 55.0, 57.5, and 60.0 °C, respectively. The optimum conditions for exploiting the synergistic effects were UV doses of 27.10 J/mL, temperature of 55.0 °C, and 3.58 min of treatment time. This treatment guaranteed more of 5 log₁₀ reductions of the cocktail of five strains of E. coli without affecting pH, °Brix, and acidity of freshly squeezed apple juice. The UV-H treatment did not increase the loss of ascorbic acid compared to the same UV treatment at room temperature but approximately doubled the inactivation of polifenoloxidase.     

脉冲放电等离子体杀灭苹果汁中鲁氏接合酵母及对苹果汁品质的影响

应用研制的脉冲放电等离子体杀菌设备,以鲁氏接合酵母（Zygosaccharomyces rouxii,Z.rouxii）为试验菌株,探讨电气参数（脉冲电压、通气量和处理时间）、溶液参数（果汁可溶性固形物）及菌初始浓度对苹果汁中鲁氏接合酵母的杀灭影响,并比较了不同菌株杀灭效果的差异;同时对处理前后苹果汁的基本理化指标、有机酸、多酚及挥发性风味物质含量进行测定,探讨脉冲放电等离子体对苹果汁品质的影响。结果表明：在脉冲电压24 kV、通气量150 mL/min、果汁可溶性固形物12%和果汁pH=3.84时,脉冲放电等离子体能够将初始浓度为1.08×104 CFU/mL的鲁氏接合酵母LB在5 min内杀灭。同时脉冲放电等离子体对苹果汁基本理化指标、有机酸、多酚及挥发性风味物质含量大部分影响均不显著（p<0.05）,能够较大程度保持苹果汁品质,该研究为脉冲放电等离子体在食品杀菌中应用提供了重要依据。     

沿面放电等离子体对苹果汁中耐高渗酵母的杀灭效果

目的：研究沿面放电等离子体对苹果汁中耐高渗酵母（Zygosaccharomyces rouxii）的杀灭效果及其对苹果汁品质的影响。方法：以耐高渗酵母LB为目标菌株，首先利用不同电压和不同气体流速沿面放电等离子体处理目标菌株，通过微生物技术分析沿面放电等离子体对目标菌株的杀灭效果，并观察处理过程对细胞膜的破坏作用；其次，评估沿面放电等离子体处理对苹果汁理化指标及色泽和挥发性化合物的影响。结果表明：在21 kV等离子体处理30 min后，500 mL 苹果汁中的耐高渗酵母数量降低了5.60 个对数，并且等离子体处理会造成细胞膜损伤，从而导致细胞死亡。沿面放电等离子体处理对苹果汁理化指标和挥发性化合物总体没有显著影响（P＞0.05），但处理前后苹果汁颜色参数变化显著（P＜0.05）。结论：沿面放电等离子体对苹果汁中耐高渗酵母具有显著的杀灭效果，研究结果可为该技术应用于食品中微生物的杀灭提供理论依据。     

Rheological behaviour of apple juice and pear juice and their concentrates

This paper reports the rheological behaviour of apple juice and pear juice. The effect of temperature on this behaviour for concentrated apple juice and pear juice of 71°Brix and 70°Brix, respectively, is examined and equations are given to describe the change in viscosity with temperature within the temperature range 5–60°C. The rheology of apple juice and pear juice of different soluble solids concentrations at 25°C is likewise reported with equations to relate the change in viscosity with concentration within the concentration range studied. In all these cases these juices are Newtonian in behaviour.     

Effect of single and combined UV-C and ultra-high pressure homogenisation treatments on inactivation of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores in apple juice

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris is a spore-forming bacterium that can survive thermal pasteurization and acidic conditions. It produces changes in the odour and flavour of fruit juices leading to economical loses. A. acidoterrestris CECT 7094 spores were inoculated in clarified and cloudy apple juices (Golden delicious var.) in the range of 5–6 log₁₀ spores/mL and submitted to different short-wave ultraviolet light (UV-C) doses (7.2–28.7 J/mL) and ultra-high pressure homogenisation (UHPH) treatments (100–300 MPa), including their combination. A. acidoterrestris could be inactivated in clarified apple juice at a level of 4.8 log₁₀ CFU/mL by a 300 MPa-UHPH treatment when the inlet temperature was 80 °C. UV-C treatments showed to be more efficient achieving a lethality of 5.5 log₁₀ CFU/mL with a dose of 21.5 J/mL at 20 °C. In cloudy apple juice (2357 NTU) UV-C treatments were less efficient with a maximum lethality of 4.07 CFU/mL after a dose of 28.7 J/mL. A previous application of UHPH contributed with UV-C to obtain higher reductions of A. acidoterrestris spores at the doses of 14.3 and 21.5 J/mL compared with UV-C single treatments. On the other hand, this previous treatment also changed the properties of particles in the matrix which apparently reduced the effectiveness of UV-C at 28.7 J/mL.     

Determination of Oxygen Solubility in Liquid Foods Using a Dissolved Oxygen Electrode

A rapid method for determining oxygen solubility in foods was introduced. Fructose, glucose, sucrose, orange juice, apple juice, grape juice, grapefruit juice, lemonade, and tomato juice had similar oxygen solubilities at comparable °Brix readings. The equation: In [ppm O₂] = 2.63 ? 0.0179 (°Brix) ? 0.0190 (°C) estimated to within 5% the oxygen solubility of sugar solutions and fruit juices at temperatures between 4°C and 40°C. At likely food concentrations, citric acid, ascorbic acid, and NaCl reduced oxygen solubility by less than 10%. Tests for component interactions were also conducted. There was no measurable synergism or antagonism between fructose, glucose, and sucrose with or without organic acids.     

Evaluation of hybrid pressure-driven and osmotically-driven membrane process for non-thermal production of apple juice concentrate

This study investigates the potential of hybrid membrane processes including microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF) and forward osmosis (FO) for non-thermal concentration of apple juice. The process performance and characteristics (physicochemical properties, nutritional and aroma components and microbiological quality) of apple juice were studied. The clarity of apple juice was significantly promoted as pore size of membrane reduced. MF and UF can also ensure microbiological safety in pre-treated apple juice. According to its efficiency of filtration as well as performance of simultaneous clarification and cold-sterilization, 0.22 μm MF membrane was identified as the optimal membrane for the pre-treatment. The pre-treated apple juice can be concentrated up to 65°Brix by subsequent single stage FO. FO retained nutritional and volatile compounds of apple juice while significant reductions were found in the juice concentrated by vacuum evaporation. Hybrid MF-FO can be a promising non-thermal technology to produce apple juice concentrate with high quality.     

Heat Induced Browning of Clarified Apple Juice at High Temperatures

A procedure to determine deterioration reaction kinetics of fluid foods at elevated temperatures is described. With this method the nonenzymatic browning (NEB) measured as O.D. at 420 nm of Red Delicious (RD) and Granny Smith (GS) apple juices was examined. Color development at 15°, 30°, 50°, and 70° Brix and temperatures ranging from 90–108°C were compared over 60 min. Results indicated an apparent first order reaction rate depending on temperature, apple juice composition and soluble solids. Browning occurred at a more rapid rate in GS juice. NEB reaction rate was shown to depend critically on the total amino acid content. Temperature dependence followed the Arrenhius equation and the activation energy (E_a) ranged from 22.0–24.8 Kcal/mole.     

Gehalte an stabilen Sauerstoff-Isotopen in Wasser von Apfelsaftkonzentrat als Kriterium für den Nachweis einer Zuckerung

Using a modified method for the determination of the¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratio in water the δ¹⁸O values for authentic apple juice concentrates (70 °Brix) of known origin, for industrially produced invert sugar syrups, for commercial apple juice concentrates, and for spiked apple juice concentrates have been measured. The δ¹⁸O values for the authentic apple juice concentrates were correlated to the δ¹⁸O values of the related pressed (single strenght) apple juices and to the sugar content of the concentrates in °Brix. The results for the samples were compared to and evaluated together with the δ¹³C values for the sugars. Concluding from the results, a minimum value for authentic apple juice concentrate of 0 to 1%., depending on the regional origin of the material, is suggested, while the determination of the δ¹⁸O value of apple juice concentrate is preferably used in addition to the already well known methods on the basis of stable isotope measurement.     

Dynamics of the loss and emergence of volatile compounds during the concentration of cashew apple juice (Anacardium occidentale L.) and the impact on juice sensory quality

Concentrating cashew apple juice alters the beverage aroma and flavor, compromising consumer acceptability of the concentrated beverage. To understand the mechanisms involved in these changes, this research characterized the dynamics of the loss and emergence of volatile compounds during cashew apple juice concentration, reporting their impact on beverage sensory quality. Fresh cashew apple juice (10.3°Brix) was concentrated in a thermal-siphon type evaporator operating in a closed system. Five samples were taken throughout the concentration process with the following soluble solids contents: 11.8°Brix, 14.9°Brix, 20.2°Brix, 29.6°Brix and 42.1°Brix. Trained judges rated the aroma note intensities, described as “fresh cashew apple” and “cooked” as perceived in the fresh and concentrated beverages. The headspace volatiles of the six samples were identified and quantified by GC–MS. The results indicated the esters as the major component in the fresh juice (226.46 μg kg^− 1) representing 45.0% of the total mass of volatiles, followed by the terpenes (118.98 μg kg^− 1), acids (45.23 μg kg^− 1), aldehydes (39.10 μg kg^− 1), alcohols (18.91 μg kg^− 1), lactones (19.15 μg kg^− 1), hydrocarbons (18.02 μg kg^− 1) and ketones (11.05 μg kg^− 1). Predictive statistical models (R² > 0.956, p ≤ 0.002) revealed that on reaching 14.9°Brix, the ester concentration declined more than 90%, the terpene content almost 100%, alcohols 85%, aldehydes 80% and hydrocarbons 90%. At 14.9°Brix, the intensity of “fresh cashew apple” aroma still predominated in the juice, but the panelists detected the presence of a weak “cooked” aroma. Concentration of the beverage to 20.2°Brix or above expressively increased the cooked aroma intensity and the concentration of hydrocarbons, alcohols and some aldehydes usually associated with off-flavors such as pentanal and decanal. This raises the possibility that some of these compounds might have been formed during juice processing. Juice with better sensory quality could possibly be obtained by concentrating the beverage to levels below 20.2°Brix, recovering the esters that evaporated off the juice until ~ 15°Brix is reached, and re-adding them to the juice concentrated.     

Development of a spray-dried conjugated whey protein hydrolysate powder with entrapped probiotics

Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis ATCC27536 and Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC4356 were encapsulated in a conjugated whey protein hydrolysate (WPH10) through spray drying. Probiotic cultures were added at the ratio of 1:1 into the conjugated WPH10 solution at a spiking level of about 10 log₁₀ cfu/mL. The mixture was spray dried in a Niro drier with inlet and outlet temperatures of 200°C and 90°C, respectively. The final dried product was determined for cell viability and further stored for 16 wk at 25°, 4°, and ?18°C to monitor viability and functionality. Micro images showed the presence of link bridges in non-conjugated WPH10, whereas, in the case of conjugated WPH10, round particles with pores were observed. The mean probiotic counts before and after spray drying were 10.59 log₁₀ cfu/mL and 8.98 log₁₀ cfu/g, respectively, indicating good retention of viability after spray drying. The solubility and wetting time of the WPH10-maltodextrin (MD) encapsulated probiotic powder were 91.03% and 47 min, whereas for WPH10, the solubility and wetting time were 82.03% and 53 min, respectively. At the end of storage period, the counts were 7.18 log₁₀ cfu/g at 4°C and 7.87 log₁₀ cfu/g at ?18°C, whereas at 25°C the counts were significantly reduced, to 3.97 log₁₀ cfu/g. The solubility of WPH-MD powder was 82.36%, 83.1%, and 81.19% at ?18°C, 4°C, and 25°C, respectively, and wetting times were 61 min, 60 min, and 63 min at ?18°C, 4°C, and 25°C, respectively. By contrast, for WPH10 powder, the solubility significantly reduced to 69.41%, 69.97%, and 68.99% at ?18°C, 4°C, and 25°C, and wetting times increased to 71 min, 70 min, and 72 min at ?18°C, 4°C, and 25°C, respectively. The conjugated WPH10 is thus demonstrated as a promising carrier for probiotics and can be further used as an ingredient for developing functional foods, to harness their enhanced functionality and health benefits derived from both WPH and probiotics.     

Influence of Water Activity on the Nonenzymatic Browning of Apple Juice Concentrate during Storage

Highly concentrated clarified apple juice was kept in storage at 37°C over a period of 100 days. The soluble solids content ranged from 65–90.5°Brix. Color development was monitored as O.D. at 420 nm. A maximum nonenzymatic browning rate (NEB_r) was found to occur between water activities 0.53 and 0.55. It was assumed that (1) dilution of reactants was responsible for the browning rate reduction at high water contents white (2) viscosity inhibited the color formation at low water activities. Viscosity ranged from 48 to 1.3 × 10⁶ cp and increased sharply when the commercial levels of concentration (70–72°Brix) were exceeded.     

Clarified Natural Apple Juice: Production and Storage Stability of Juice and Concentrate

Thermal treatment (90°C, 20 sec) of Red Delicious apple mashes followed by Pectinase (0.02%;v/w), centrifugation, bentoniting and filtration resulted in a clear natural apple juice. Whole apple mash juice was faintly pink due to extracted skin anthocyanins and the 70° Brix concentrate prepared from the juice was ruby red. Pink juice browned extensively over 648 hr storage at 37°C and browning was associated with development of an absorption maximum at 446 nm. The ruby red concentrate stored at 37°C, turned orange (167 hr) darkening to brown (648 hr) and gave visible spectral scan typical of Maillard browning development.     

Combined high pressure and heat treatment effectively disintegrates spore membranes and inactivates Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores in acidic fruit juice beverage

The commercial potential of high pressure and thermal processing (HPTP) was investigated against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores in commercial acidic apple juice beverage and in acidified and neutral potassium buffers. With starting spore counts prior to treatments being 6.5 and 7.2 log₁₀ respectively for strains AJA 66 (D_90°C 15.4 min) and ATCC 49025 (D_90°C 8.5 min), HPTP at 600 MPa at 80 °C for 3 min provided an optimal treatment with spore viability reduced below the detection limit for both strains. HPTP at 80 °C for 1 min and HPTP at 70 °C for 3 min achieved 4.1–4.5 log₁₀ CFU/mL reduction. HPTP at 70 °C for 1 min reduced the number of viable spores by 2.0–2.5-log₁₀ CFU/mL. Flow cytometry revealed the presence of membrane-compromised spores among culturable spores following HPTP and heat alone treatments at different temperatures. Electron microscopy clearly showed the efficiency of HPTP with crushed or hollow spores predominating after treatments. No correlation between HPTP susceptibility and genetic diversity was observed for two genotypes of A. acidoterrestris spores. The treatment combination provides a promising option for industrial utility since it requires lower heat and processing time.     

Evaluation of Microbial Stability,Bioactive Compounds,Physicochemical Properties,and Consumer Acceptance of Pomegranate Juice Processed in a Commercial Scale Pulsed Electric Field System

This paper investigated the feasibility for pasteurizing raw (100 %) pomegranate juice in a commercial scale pulsed electric field (PEF) processing system. The juice was processed at 35 and 38 kV/cm for 281 μs at 55 °C with a flow rate of 100 L/h. Effect of PEF processing on microbial stability, color, °Brix, pH, sediment, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, anthocyanin, and sensory properties after the treatments and during storage at 4 °C for 12 weeks were studied and compared to those of thermally processed juice. PEF treatments significantly (p?<?0.05) inhibited the growth of total aerobic bacteria, which remained at <2.5 log colony-forming units (CFU)/ml during the 12-week storage. No yeast and mold were detected (<0.69 log CFU/ml) in the PEF-treated juices during storage up to weeks 10 and 12, which is similar to the thermally processed juice. There were no significant differences in pH and °Brix values between the PEF processed juice and unprocessed juice. PEF processing did not alter the contents of total phenolics and anthocyanin as compared to unprocessed juice. PEF processing had significantly (p?<?0.05) less impact on the color of pomegranate juice than thermal processing. PEF-treated juice had the same consumer satisfaction scores as the unprocessed juice, which were significantly (p?<?0.05) higher than thermally processed juice samples. There was no significant difference between the two PEF treatments in all results. This study demonstrated that PEF technology extended microbial shelf-life and preserved the major quality and nutritional characteristics of pomegranate juice, and hence, is technically feasible for commercialization in the juice industry.     

INACTIVATION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI O157:H7 DURING THE STORAGE UNDER REFRIGERATION OF APPLE JUICE TREATED BY PULSED ELECTRIC FIELDS

The sensitivity of pulsed electric fields (PEF)‐treated E. coli O157:H7 cells to subsequent holding in apple juice has been evaluated. Escherichia coli O157:H7 cells in apple juice were resistant to PEF. A PEF treatment of 400 µs at any electrical field strength was not sufficient to inactivate one log₁₀cycle of cells. However, PEF injured a large proportion of E. coli O157:H7 cells that became sensitive to a subsequent storage under refrigeration in apple juice. The total lethal effect of the combined process depended on the electrical field strength and storage time. The combination of a PEF treatment at 25 kV/cm for 400 µs and a subsequent storage of the apple juice under refrigeration for 48 h allowed five log₁₀cycles of inactivation to be achieved. The combination of PEF and maintenance under refrigeration has been demonstrated to be an effective pasteurization method, by sufficiently reducing the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in apple juice in order to meet U.S. FDA recommendations.     

Effect of Cold Atmospheric Plasma on Inactivation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> and Physicochemical Properties of Apple,Orange, Tomato Juices,and Sour Cherry Nectar

In this study, orange, tomato, apple juices, and sour cherry nectar were exposed to an atmospheric pressure plasma jet. Plasma treatments were carried out using air as a precursor under constant gas flow (3000 L/h) at 650 W for different treatment times (30, 60, 90, and 120 s). After plasma processing, reduction of Escherichia coli, Hunter’s color parameters (L*, a*, b*), total phenolic content, and pH values were evaluated. The inactivation effect of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) was investigated on E. coli, and the highest significant reductions were achieved in apple juice (4.02 ± 0.03 log CFU/mL) followed by sour cherry (3.34 ± 0.09 log CFU/mL), while the values in orange (1.59 ± 0.17 log CFU/mL) and tomato juices (1.43 ± 0.22 log CFU/mL) were lower, which could be attributed to the food matrix. Color parameters, except for apple juice, did not show significant changes after processing. Compared to untreated juice, plasma treatment yielded higher phenolic content from 10 to 15%, while pH values did not change significantly and the temperature remained below 40 °C after all plasma treatments. This study showed that CAP treatment had positive influences on phenolic stability and color change in all samples regardless of food intrinsic factors, while it was more effective on bacterial inactivation in clear juices than turbid ones. Our results indicate that atmospheric plasma appears to be a promising technology for microbial inactivation without causing undesirable changes in food product.     

Inactivation of Alicyclobacillus contaminans spores by dielectric barrier discharge plasma and its biological mechanism

Over the years, as an emerging technology, cold plasma (CP) has been widely used in the preservation of agricultural products. Alicyclobacillus spp. are spore-forming bacteria and difficult to inactivate. They adversely affect the economic value of agricultural products. Nevertheless, there are still few studies related to the inactivation of spores using CP. Herein, the inactivation effect and mechanism of dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) on Alicyclobacillus contaminans (A. contaminans) spores in phosphate-buffered saline and clarified apple juice were investigated. Plasma treatment at 75 V for 9 min achieved 99% inactivation of spores with the initial inocula of 7.13 and 5.72-log in PBS and apple juice, respectively. And the cell structure of the spores was severely disrupted leading to the leakage of the entocyte. Moreover, the surface properties of the spores were altered, making the adhesion of the spores to the hydrophobic surfaces and the stability of the bacterial suspension decreased leading to more agglomeration of the spores. Further results confirmed the intracellular homeostasis of the spores was also disrupted. Therefore, the inactivation mechanism of DBDP on spores was revealed from different perspectives, and our discoveries promote the theoretical progress in the use of plasma in food sterilization.Industrial relevanceAs an emerging nonthermal preservation technology, cold plasma has been used in food processing. In this study, we confirmed the feasibility of the inactivation of Alicyclobacillus contaminans spores in apple juice by dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) and investigated the mechanism of plasma inactivation of spores at the molecular biology level. This paper provides preliminary support for the application of low-temperature plasma in food processing such as apple juice.     

Thermal degradation kinetics of anthocyanins from Chinese red radish (Raphanus sativus L.) in various juice beverages

Thermal and storage stabilities of red radish anthocyanins (RRAs) in various juice beverages (apple, grape, peach, pear, pomegranate and lemon) were studied over temperature range 70–90 °C and 4–25 °C. RRAs degradation in all juice beverages followed first-order reaction kinetics. RRAs showed a much faster degradation rate during storage at room temperature (t _1/2 value ≤84.0 days) than did in refrigerated temperature (t _1/2 ≥value 130.9 days). The rate constant (k), E _a and Q ₁₀ values for RRAs in juice beverages varied from 1.33 to 0.33, 47.94 to 14.77 kJ mol^?1 and 1.16 to 1.89 at 70–90 °C. During heating, RRAs in peach and pomegranate showed higher stability than others at these temperatures. There was a positive correlation (R ² > 0.9128) between ascorbic acid content of juice beverages (8–36 mg/100 mg) and stability of RRAs at 70–90 °C. It was found that RRAs in apple and pear juice beverage were more stable than in other juice beverages.