Reclaim of the By-Products from “Horchata” Elaboration Process

The recovery of effluents for different uses is an interesting practice that can contribute to a better management of water resources all over the world. Tiger nuts or “chufa” (Cyperus esculentus) are tubers mainly used to produce “horchata de chufa” (tiger nuts milk), yielding a high quantity of co-products (solids and liquids). The composition of these co-products makes them suitable for other uses. The aim of this work was to study the composition, microbial quality, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant activity of the “horchata” drained-water. The obtained results prove that “horchata” drained-water could be considered a valuable source of natural antioxidants. A good correlation between total phenol content and reducing power, rancimat performance, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation of buffered egg yolk assays supports the idea that phenols may be the main contributors to the antioxidant power of “horchata” drained-water. However, its microbial quality is poor, so this liquid residue must be heat-treated before its addition to any food product.     

Role of Oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oil as a surface fungus inhibitor on fermented sausages: evaluation of its effect on microbial and physicochemical characteristics

Oregano essential oil (OEO) was evaluated to determine its effect on the growth of natural contaminating molds on the surface of Spanish fermented sausage, the development of the internal microbial population of the sausage, and the physicochemical properties of the sausage. Results indicated a dramatic reduction in the contaminant molds. At the end of ripening, the main endogenous fungal species in control samples were Mucor racemosus (55%), Aspergillus fumigatus (20.6%), Cladosporium sphaerospermum (11.1%), Acremonium strictum (7.9%), and Aspergillus niger (4.7%). In samples treated with OEO, M. racemosus and A. fumigatus were the only species isolated; the treatment was more effective against A. fumigatus than against M. racemosus. The use of OEO to inhibit surface fungi did not affect the sausage drying process, pH, water activity, or color changes during ripening. These parameters change in a typical pattern for fermented dry-cured sausages during ripening. At the end of ripening, OEO-treated sausages had lower hardness and greater chewiness than the control but showed similar textural properties to sausages treated with potassium sorbate.