Research Publications (Food Safety)

Abstract This literature survey reveals the extended shelf life of foods when subjected to isochoric freeze processing. All other preservation aspects, thermal or non‐thermal, contribute to food preservation as per their specific functionality. From the given set of available food preservation technologies, shelf life extension by way of isochoric freezing works very well to extend the shelf life of fresh agricultural produce, without any weight loss and browning reaction to occur.

Abstract Fresh‐cut fruits and vegetables are still an active area of study despite being a staple of food outlets offering minimally processed foods. These minimally processed foods often have a short shelf life due to enzymatic browning. Active packaging is of current interest as it offers an efficient method to deliver polyphenol oxidase inhibitors onto the surface of foods to suppress browning.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. The high water content of Lycopersicon esculentum usually favors microbial growth, thus resulting in shelf-life reduction and economic loss. In an effort to develop an ecofriendly preservative for cherry tomatoes, a comprehensive study establishing the antimicrobial activity of the seeds of Chrysophyllum albidum and Persea americana was carried out.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. This study aimed to inhibit the growth of Lacanicillium fungicola (L. fungicola) and improve the quality of button mushroom during a 21-day storage time at 4 °C using treatment of surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. To study the effect of low-dose electron beam irradiation treatment on the postharvest storage quality of Actinidia arguta. The kiwifruit was irradiated with 300, 400, and 500 Gy electron beam, respectively, stored at 0-1°C with 90%-95% RH. The physical and chemical indexes, physiological indexes and resistance enzyme activities of the fruits were determined.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables refer to edible commodities that are free from large scale and typical traditional processing operations. However, maintaining their nutritional value and microbiological integrity is challenging. The processing operations such as peeling, cutting and trimming done in the fresh-cut industry can trigger deteriorative reactions such as tissue softening and enzymatic browning.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables are prone to browning that leads to quality decline, low acceptability and food waste. Therefore, it is of great importance to study and alleviate the browning of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Plant extracts, rich in bioactive compounds like polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenes and other active ingredients, exhibit high antioxidant and anti-browning ability.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. In this study, high intensity ultrasound (HIU), antibrowning chemicals (calcium chloride and ascorbic acid), water bath were used to avoid the browning of kiwifruit pieces, and the shelf-life of fresh-cut was measured (two weeks). The treated fresh-cut kiwi samples were evaluated in terms of color, enzyme activities, bioactive compounds, microbial and sensory studies.

Mature kiwi after minimal processing were treated with 0.5–2.0 kGy gamma irradiation to monitor changes in quality parameters under refrigerated conditions (3 ± 1°C, RH 85%) for 16 days. The results revealed that treatment of 2.0 kGy proved helpful in delaying onset of surface browning, reducing the polyphenol oxidase activity and preserving the original color of samples till 16 days. Dose dependent decrease in polyphenol oxidase activity and surface browning was observed in kiwi samples.

This study evaluated the effects of low doses of gamma radiation (up to 2.0 kGy) on the survival and growth of Listeria monocytogenes and on technological characteristics of RTE cooked hams, formulated without and with 50 and 150 mg/kg of sodium nitrite, after 30 days of cold (4°C) storage. The radiation reduced from 0.33 kGy in uncured and RTE50 to 0.25 kGy in RTE150 and after storage, a reduction (p > .05) in the Listeria growth in the cured samples.

Various fruits are involved in food models, including fresh‐cut fruit, fruit salad, and juices. Toxigenic fungi in horticulture have attracted interest in order to the food safety requirements and their illnesses relation. This study aimed to apply grape by‐products (Gbps) that contain bioactive compounds to reduce mycotoxin and limit toxigenic fungal‐activity in fresh‐cut fruit and juice. The Gbps were collected and extracted using ultra‐sonication.

The present study aimed to examine the efficiency of ethanolic extract of Capsicum annuum L (CAE) in improving the shelf life and quality of fresh‐cut C. annuum (FCCa). The uniformly sliced FCCa were prewashed with sodium hypochlorite solution (NaOCl) and then treated with 10% of CAE. The foodborne pathogens of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica were patched on the surface of FCCa and stored at 15°C and 4°C for 12 days.

In this study, two near neutral pH electrolysed water (NEW1 produced by redirecting of the catholyte solution back to the anode chamber and NEW2 produced by using NaCl and NaHCO3 as electrolyte) and control (NEW0, produced by commercial unit) were evaluated for their stability during 75 h storageat 7°C.

Peas are highly seasonal and perishable in nature, thereby requiring suitable preservation methods to be available throughout the year. Osmotic drying is one of the suitable methods for preserving perishable and semi‐perishable produce. Osmotic drying of green peas was carried out in ternary solutions of water, sodium chloride (NaCl), and sucrose having different solution concentrations and osmotic temperatures.

Rhizome rot and quality deterioration of tender ginger after harvest were the restricting factors of tender ginger storage quality. In this research, cold storage with SO2 fumigation function was designed and the effects of 0.2 mL·L‐1, 0.5 mL·L‐1, 1.0 mL·L‐1 SO2 fumigation every 15 d on the storage quality of tender ginger was investigated.

Today's consumers prefer foods that are practically prepared and ready for consumption. Therefore, global demand for the consumption of minimally processed fruits gained popularity. In this study, the use of quince (Cydonia oblonga) seed mucilage was investigated as an edible coating to extend the shelf life of mandarin fruit ready for consumption. The mucilage obtained from the quince seed extract was used for covering the mandarin slices and samples were stored at 4°C for 10 days.

In the current study, fresh‐cut broccoli was soaked in melatonin solution before cold storage (4°C, 95% RH) for 25 days. The results indicated that 100 µM melatonin treatment inhibited the increase of L* and b* values and retained higher hue angle, total chlorophyll content, and fresh weight during storage.

Ultrasound (US) and ozone processing allow achieving food technological aims such as the improvement of food safety and preservation. The combination of these technologies has been reported to be beneficial in inactivating microorganisms from fruits and vegetables. However, treatment conditions and mechanisms of action of these technologies can affect vegetables or fruits structure as well as their phytochemical components.

The aim of our work is to investigate and compare the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content of smoked paprika produced with different technologies and originated from different locations.

The present study was conducted to utilize the sapota fruit wasted during seasonal glut for the production of wine. Being rich in sugars, sapota is a suitable raw material for fermentation which is an efficient method for the preservation of the nutritional, antioxidative, and functional properties of this fruit.

A gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry method was developed to determine the chemical composition of alcoholic beverages. Extraction was performed with 280 μl of butyl acetate added to 1.7 ml of the sample and placed into 2 ml gas chromatograph auto‐injector vial. One microliter from the upper organic layer was analyzed. Natural constituents (i.e., phenylethyl alcohol, 4‐hydroxybenzoate) found in beers and wines were profiled.

The aim of this research was to observe the combined usability of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus durans strains, which are resistant to adverse environmental conditions, together with commercial probiotic starters in the production of probiotic fermented milk. Accordingly, eight different probiotic fermented milks were produced; AF:Lactobacillus acidophilus + Enterococcus faecium, BF:Bifidobacterium animalis subsp.