REVISTA DYNA ENERGÍA

Key words:

Productos IV Gama, ultrasonidos, ultravioleta, calidad microbiológica, calidad visual, fresh-cut produce, ultrasound, ultraviolet, microbiological quality, visual quality.

Article type:

ARTICULO DE INVESTIGACION / RESEARCH ARTICLE

Section:

RESEARCH ARTICLES

ABSTRACT:
Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables are more and more demanded. However, their shelf-life is reduced compared to raw materials. That is the reason why many conservation techniques are used, contributing to the “hurdles technology”. Nevertheless, many of the applied treatments (especially during washing) tend to substitute or reduce chemical compounds during minimal processing. Thus, ultraviolet or ultrasounds have been used in order to keep food quality.

The aim of this job was to study energy saving and environmental conservation in a minimal processing line in order to check the effectiveness of some emerging techniques for fresh-cut processing. Namely, ultraviolet and ultrasound were applied on washing step. Finally, so as to check the effectiveness of these treatments, microbiological counts (in water) and colour measurements (on fruit or vegetable surface) were carried out.

As conclusion, it is noteworthy that ultraviolet radiation considerably reduced microbiological counts in water, allowing to use it for longer periods. On the other hand, ultrasound kept visual quality of food. Therefore, additive concentration in water could be reduced, due to the fact that a synergic effect was observed when used with ultrasound. Consequently, water saving is achieved because of its increased durability, and environmental impact could be less severe.

Key Words: fresh-cut produce, ultrasound, ultraviolet, microbiological quality, visual quality.