54F-21 |
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M. A. MORENO, C. Gomes, P. C. F. Da Silva, M. E. Castell-Perez, and R. G. Moreira. Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX 77843-2117 Blueberries have become a product of interest in the US due to their nutritional and health benefits. Approaches to ensure their quality and safety, such as irradiation, offer economic incentives for production and commercialization of this commodity. Until now, there is no information available on the effect of electron beam irradiation treatments on fresh blueberry quality. Our goal was to verify the suitability of using this technology for blueberries while preserving the quality characteristics and shelf-life of the fruit. Blueberries packed in plastic clamshell containers were irradiated at 1.1, 1.6 and 3.2kGy doses using a 10MeV linear accelerator (LINAC) with single beam fixture. The shelf-life of irradiated and non-irradiated (control) fruits stored at 5° C and 70%RH was evaluated during 14 days by a series of physicochemical and sensorial analyses. Irradiation of blueberries at 1.1kGy had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on the fruits physical and chemical characteristics with the exception of ascorbic acid which decreased by 17% after 14 days of storage. Compared to the control a significant decrease in texture (firmness) of irradiated samples was observed during storage time. Total sugars content decreased by 22.5%, 16.4% and 3.6% in samples treated at 1.1, 1.6 and 3.2kGy doses, respectively while it increased by 5.3% in the control. We found a significant increase (10 to 20%) in total phenolics and tannins content of all the irradiated fruits compared to the control. Sensory attributes such as overall quality, color, texture and aroma of samples irradiated with 1.1 and 1.6kGy were found acceptable by the panelists. This is a significant increase from the average 7-day shelf-life. These results support the applicability of using electron beam technology at doses up to 1.6kGy to ensure and enhance the safety and shelf-life of blueberries up to 14 days.
Session 54F, Nonthermal Processing: General I
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |