Blanchiment et qualité des légumes et des fruits surgelés. Revue. 3. Aspects nutritionnels et hygiéniques,conclusions

The third and final section of a bibliographic study (see Int. J. Refrig.7 (1984) 384–388 and 8 (1985) 48–53), this article deals with the effects of blanching on vitamins and soluble nutrients as well as the sanitary state of quick frozen fruit and vegetables. Blanching and hydrocooling cause important losses in the soluble nutrients of products, consequently they cause extensive water pollution. The advantages produced by steam blanching are totally lost during hydrocooling. The hygienic quality of frozen vegetables is closely related to the bacterial counts of water and the cleanliness of equipment situated upstream of the blancher. The replacement of blanching by a less aggressive chemical treatment, as regards frozen vegetable quality, may be a solution for the future, but it will be some time before it can be applied to industry.