Short communication: Antimicrobial activity of pequi (Caryocar brasiliense) waste extract on goat Minas Frescal cheese presenting sodium reduction

Sodium chloride reduction in foods is a significant focus of the dairy industry; however, it can interfere with dairy product quality. Thus, researchers have carried out studies on alternatives to maintain dairy product safety when presenting reduced NaCl content, such as natural antimicrobial addition. Caryocar brasiliense (pequi) is a fruit with high phenolic compound concentrations in the pulp and peel and known antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to define the optimum stage for pequi waste extract addition during cheese manufacturing in order to maintain and prolong the shelf life of reduced-sodium goat Minas Frescal cheese. Four different goat Minas Frescal cheese treatments were carried out: control cheese (without extract; CC), pequi extract addition to milk (CM), pequi extract addition to mass (CS), and cheese immersion in pequi extract (CIE). The treatments were subjected to microbiological (Staphylococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and fecal coliforms, Lactococcus spp., and lactic acid bacteria counts), textural (hardness and consistency), and instrumental color (luminosity, yellow intensity, red intensity, chroma, hue angle, and total color change) analyses. No Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus spp., E. coli, or coliforms and fecal coliforms were detected during storage for any of the assessed samples, including CC. Regarding texture, all samples presented a trend for decreasing rigidity during storage. In addition, lower luminosity values were also observed in cheeses produced with added pequi extract (CM, CS, and CIE) when compared with CC. All cheeses produced with added pequi were stable regarding all evaluated parameters; however, pequi extract addition to milk (CM) was shown to be more efficient, leading to higher textural parameters and better microbiological quality during storage. Thus, the CM treatment is the most recommended for pequi waste extract addition during Minas Frescal cheese manufacture.     

Flavor Chemistry of Cocoa and Cocoa Products—An Overview

Cocoa originates from beans of the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L.) and it is an important commodity in the world and the main ingredient in chocolate manufacture. Its value and quality are related to unique and complex flavors. Bulk cocoas (Forastero type) exhibit strong basic cocoa notes, whereas fine varieties (Criollo, Nacional) show aromatic, floral, or smoother flavor characteristics. About 600 various compounds (alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and pyrazines) have been identified as odor‐active components. The specific cocoa aroma arises from complex biochemical and chemical reactions during the postharvest processing of raw beans, and from many influences of the cocoa genotype, chemical make‐up of raw seeds, environmental conditions, farming practices, processing, and manufacturing stages. There has been much research on cocoa flavor components. However, the relationships between all chemical components that are likely to play a role in cocoa flavor, their sensory properties, and the sources and mechanisms of flavor formation are not fully understood. This paper provides an overview on cocoa flavor from a compositional and a sensory perspective. The nonvolatile and volatile chemical components of cocoa and chocolate flavor, and their sensory properties correlated to the main influences involved in flavor formation, are reviewed.     

Effect of vinegar on the viability of Giardia duodenalis cysts

The inactivation of Giardia duodenalis cysts by vinegar was investigated. Experiments were carried out in 100 ml volume of vinegar (acetic acid 4%), undiluted or diluted in distilled water in ratios of 1:1, 1:15.6, and 1:62.5 (vol/vol), which were inoculated with 5x10(5) cysts obtained from human feces. Experiments were performed at room temperature (21+/-1 degrees C) and at 4 degrees C. After contact times of 1.5 min, 10, 30, and 60 min, the cysts were recovered from the treatment fluid and subjected to an in vitro excystation assay to determine their viability. The relative viability, which was calculated in relation to controls (maximum excystation percentage), was significantly affected (p<0.1) by the vinegar concentration, contact time, and temperature. At 21+/-1 degrees C, no cysts remained viable after being treated with undiluted vinegar for 60 min, while the treatment with 1:1, 1:15.6, and 1:62.5 vinegar-water mixtures decreased the relative viability to 1.8%, 19.4%, and 56.4%, respectively. The relative viability after corresponding treatments at 4 degrees C also decreased, but 23.6% to 48.8% remained viable after 60 min, and thus complete inactivation was not obtained with any treatment at that temperature.