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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Microbial and Chemical Food Safety » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #399224
Research Project: Integration and Validation of Alternative and Multiple Intervention Technologies to Enhance Microbial Safety, Quality, and Shelf-life of Food

Location: Microbial and Chemical Food Safety

Title: Combined pulsed electric field with antimicrobial packaging for extending shelf life of orange juice

Author
item Jin, Zhonglin
item ABOELHAGGAG, RAMADAN - Egypt National Research Center

Submitted to: Beverages
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/7/2022
Publication Date: 11/14/2022
Citation: Jin, Z.T., Aboelhaggag, R.M. 2022. Combined pulsed electric field with antimicrobial packaging for extending shelf life of orange juice. Beverages. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages8040072.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages8040072

Interpretive Summary: Any spoilage or foodborne pathogenic microorganism survivors in juices after thermal or nonthermal processes would reduce the shelf life or increase the safety risk as these microorganisms could grow during storage. In this study, orange juice was treated by pulsed electric fields (PEF) and stored in glass jars with antimicrobial caps (AP). Orange juice subjected to the combined treatment (PEF+AP) had the lowest yeast and mold populations and maintained the quality and stability of apple juice stored at 10°C for 5 weeks. This study provides valuable information to juice processors for consideration and design of nonthermal pasteurization with antimicrobial packaging of juice products.

Technical Abstract: This study was to investigate the effectiveness of combined pulsed electric fields (PEF) and antimicrobial packaging treatment in maintaining the quality and stability of orange juice stored at 10°C. Orange juice was treated by PEF and stored in glass jars with antimicrobial caps coated with 10 µl of carvacrol essential oil (AP). Microbial reductions and physiochemical properties of juice samples were determined after treatments and during storage at 10°C. Orange juice samples subject to the combined treatment (PEF+AP) had the lowest yeast and mold populations after 14 day-storage at 10°C. There were no significant differences in pH, acidity, color, total soluble solid contents, total phenol compounds and Vitamin C among all samples after treatments. Storage studies showed that PEF, AP, and PEF+AP treatments maintained the quality and stability of apple juice stored at 10°C for 5 weeks but loss of Vitamin C. This study provides valuable information to juice processors for consideration and design of nonthermal pasteurization of juice products.