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Truffles are the most expensive edible mushrooms refer to genus tuber which grows symbiotically in plant roots such as oaks and hazels. Truffles are underground mushrooms also known for their characteristic earthy flavor which is the major reason for their special place in the culinary. Their characteristic intense aroma helps them in reproduction by attracting small animals. Truffles can survive in a wide range of environments such as deep forests as well as deserts. The most expensive varieties of truffles include Tuber melanosporum (Black truffle), Tuber magnatum (White truffle), Tuber aestivum (Burgundy truffle), Tirmania nivea, and Terfezia chlaveryi (Dessert truffles). Truffles vary in their composition and flavor profile from species to species. The major volatile components which are responsible for truffle aroma are aldehydes, ketones, sulfur compounds, alcohols, and esters. Truffles are highly nutritious, rich in antioxidants, and have therapeutic properties such as antimicrobial activity, antiviral activity, antimutagenic activity, anti-inflammatory activity, hepatoprotective activity, etc. The major active components present in truffle are tuberoside, phenolics, anandamide, and ergosterol.

Foods, rich in oil content, have been found to be a key dietary contributor of certain chronic diseases such as cardio-vascular diseases, hypertension, cancer, etc. Therefore, the market trends are shifting towards low-fat containing foods. Oil rich foods are generally fried products where oil is absorbed during frying process. Vacuum-frying has been identified as an alternative to traditional frying. It is also highly suitable for frying of sugar rich fruits which otherwise is not possible in traditional frying as it leads to browning of the end product making them unacceptable. This review is a compilation of recent research works done in the area of vacuum frying of fruits and vegetables and allied products and gives an insight to the physical and chemical changes occurring during vacuum frying of fruits and vegetables. The effects of pre-treatments, processing conditions as well as use of novel technologies in combination with vacuum frying on quality characteristics of products have also been discussed. Emphasis has also been given on future aspects of vacuum frying with respect to fruits and vegetables processing.

The future war scenario is based on use and applications of various conventional and non-convectional agents which includes weaponised or non-weaponised chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN), toxic industrial materials, direct energy devices/ weapons, and or high yield explosives. These include nerve agents, blood agents, vesicants or skin blistering agents, lung irritants, asphyxiants or choking agents. Biological weapons are basically disease causing microorganisms and other replicating entities including viruses, infectious nucleic acids and prions. These agents have ability to infect host and are highly virulent, pathogenic and dangerous in nature. The interface between ammunitions and above agents is soldier whose physical and mental health is affected as enough precautionary measures are not adopted. The reducing environment thus created has various agents which enter into exposed body and lead to mild to serious damage to various vital parts of the human body. As food is important component for survival and intrinsic to basic human nutrition and health, therefore, it is imperative to develop certain kind of a wholesome meal system which can be consumed by the soldiers tasked with combating CBRN situations during such operations. Such meals can be in the form of solid or liquid type and packaged in suitable delivery system, compatible and amenable with the CBRN suit. Food can be contaminated during CBRN conditions by coming in direct or indirect contact with CBRN agents. Therefore, the food materials to be used under such conditions need to be protected in suitable coverings as consumption of contaminated food can be lethal. Designer meal for CBRN environment is not only suitable for soldiers but also to all human interface dealing with similar scenario viz. the low intensity conflicts and surgical operations, nuclear submarines, cosmonauts, pilots, individuals handling radiation equipment and patient undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

The present study aimed at the development of a groundnut-based dehydrated paneer type product which could serve as an instant vegan protein source. In the process of preparing groundnut paneer, a ratio of 1:5 of groundnut to water and 2.0% calcium chloride (CaCl

The study reveals effect of pre-treatments, i.e., partial drying (PD), partial drying + freezing (PDF) and freezing (F) on physico-chemical, structural and sensory quality of vacuum fried papaya chips (100 °C for 28 min at 13.33 kPa). Pre-treatments significantly (p

Effect of pulsed electric field as a blanching pretreatment on cell permeabilization, microstructure and quality of dehydrated apple slices was studied. Apple slices were pulsed electric field pretreated (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kV/cm using 25 and 75 pulses) at a temperature of 60 and 80°C in water followed by dehydration at 60°C in a cabinet dryer. Cell disintegration index was found to increase significantly (p

Enzymatic liquefaction (EL) ensures fast extraction and enhanced recovery of bioactives from red capsicum along with reduced degradation of these compounds remained in the pomace. Hence, red capsicum pomace obtained as byproduct after EL was freeze dried to produce capsicum pomace powder (CP). CP had almost 80% of bioactives (total carotenoids 91.23 ± 2.35 mg/100 g) and antioxidant activity (DPPH 1.61 ± 0.12 µmol TE/g) compared to fresh pomace. CP was further used to develop muffins. Different concentrations (2-10%) of CP were mixed in wheat flour for preparation of muffins. Wheat flour was fortified with CP at different levels (2-10%) and subsequently, effect of CP fortification on height, texture, bioactives and sensory quality of muffins was observed. CP fortification improved the quality in terms of color, flavor and texture. During storage, hardness values (34.42-32.56 N) showed decreasing trend with increase in CP content. Overall, 6% CP fortification was found most acceptable without causing significant change in porosity and crust uniformity of fortified muffins. Thus, present study demonstrated that fortification of muffins with 6% CP as functional ingredient offers an opportunity to develop quality muffins with enhanced antioxidant activity (DPPH 13.04 ± 0.02 µmol TE/g) and total carotenoids (3.46 ± 2.41 mg/100 g).

In recent times, high pressure processing (HPP) has emerged as one of the promising decontamination techniques in agriculture and food industry. It has minimal impact on taste, nutrients, flavor, and freshness of food. Therefore, HPP is highly acceptable technique to inhibit the growth and toxins of foodborne pathogens in food matrices. In the present study, HPP technology with thermal variation was applied to control the growth, and level of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) in maize grains adopting response surface methodology (RSM). The spore inactivation activity by means of HPP was studied by spore germination inhibition in peptone water and complete inactivation was observed at 380 MPa and 60 °C for 30 min. Propidium iodide staining revealed that HPP inactivates the spores by damaging the membrane integrity. RSM experiment was executed using central composite design (CCD) with the association of independent factors of pressure (MPa), temperature (°C), and pressure-holding time (min) and results were assessed by second order polynomial equation. Conversely, the regression analysis of all the responses (reduction in CFU%, DON%, and ZEA%) was conducted by fitting the suitable model. The responses were significant (p

The tomato soup (TS) was prepared and dried by using different drying methods; namely, hot air drying, vacuum drying, and vacuum-microwave drying, to increase the shelf life by lowering the moisture content. The drying characteristics and lycopene degradation of TS were studied through kinetics and modeling. The effective moisture diffusion (Deff) of TS has shown significant temperature dependency during drying and followed the Arrhenius relationship for applied drying methods. The lycopene degradation kinetics of TS obeyed the first-order kinetics with higher values of activation energy (Ea>30 kJmol−1), indicating a higher sensitivity of lycopene towards the elevated temperatures (above 55°C). The vacuum-microwave drying was the best drying method for the TS with higher Deff and minimal loss of lycopene and total phenol in the dried TS. This study would help design an industrial drying setup with minimal loss of lycopene and nutrition in dried TS.

Data on concentration of essential and toxic metals as well as microbial load of conventionally grown and organic certified commonly consumed vegetable crops Solanum lycopersicum L. (tomato) and Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (okra) in Mysore region of Southern India were determined analytically using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean concentrations of heavy metals and microbial contaminants in S. lycopersicum was Pb>Cd>TAC>TC>YM and in A. esculentus was Pb>TC>TAC>YM. In S. lycopersicum, the highest mean concentration of Pb (5.731 ppm) was recorded for conventionally grown and Cd (0.652 ppm) was recorded for organic certified. Hazard Index (HI) and Hazard Quotient (HQ) values indicated adverse non-carcinogenic health effects on prolonged exposure to Pb and Cd by consumption of S. lycopersicum. Target cancer risk (TCR) value also indicated cancer risk on consumption of S. lycopersicum due to Pb. These findings exposed an urgent need for regulations for fresh produce to ensure safety of consumers.

The present work was aimed to study and optimize the high pressure treated green mango blended mayonnaise in terms of oxidative and emulsion stability, as a function of technical parameters; pressure intensity, dwell period and level of green mango pulp. Mayonnaise samples were treated at different combinations of pressure (400–600 MPa), holding time (5–10 min) and level of green mango pulp (10–30%) following Box–Behnken design. Mayonnaise quality was evaluated in terms of oxidative stability and emulsion stability using response surface methodology to optimize the best possible combination among all. Analysis of variance showed that the second-order polynomial model fitted well with the experimental results. Pressure and time were the most important factors determining the oxidative stability (free fatty acids, peroxide value and anisidine value) whereas; the emulsion stability (creaming and thermal creaming) was most significantly affected by the level of green mango pulp. The optimized conditions for preparing green mango blended mayonnaise with high oxidative and emulsion stability were: 435 MPa pressure, 5 min of holding time with the addition of green mango pulp at the rate of 28%. The product prepared at optimum conditions showed good correlations between predicted and actual values.

Shellac-based surface coating was used in combination with passive modified atmosphere (MA) packaging for shelf life extension of fresh green chillies. The green chillies were coated with shellac coating, packed in anti-fog film and kept at 8 ± 1 °C for storage along with uncoated control. The coated and MA packed chillies showed significantly lower respiration rates as compared to control. The physico-chemical characteristics showed significantly lesser variations in terms of physiological loss in weight, firmness, colour, pigments, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity during storage. A shelf life extension of 48 days was observed for coated and MA packed chillies against uncoated and MA packed (28 days) and control (15 days) ones. Shellac coated chillies showed a shelf life of 30 days at 8 ± 1 °C. Shellac coating along with the passive MA packaging resulted in restriction of metabolic activities (respiration) and delayed senescence and was found most effective in maintaining the postharvest quality of green chillies during low temperature storage.

The quality parameters of chevon pertaining to physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics due to high-pressure processing (HPP) have been studied. Pre-packed meat pieces were subjected to HPP at selected pressures of 300 and 600 MPa for 5 and 10 min at 28 ± 2 °C. Changes in pH, texture, water activity, color, myoglobin, oxymyoglobin, metmyoglobin, microbial profile, and lipid peroxidative parameters in terms of non-heme iron and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values after HPP and refrigerated storage (4 ± 1 °C) were examined for a period of 30 days. No statistically significant change was observed in the pH initially, but during 5–15 days of storage, treated samples recorded an increase in pH compared to control. Textural characteristics in terms of hardness and springiness revealed a significant (p

This investigation was carried out to evaluate quality changes in ginger paste followed by high hydrostatic pressure and thermal treatment during 6 months of storage at 6±1 °C. Ginger samples were washed in water, peeled manually and pulverized in the form of smooth paste and were mixed with ascorbic (100 mg kg −1 ) and citric (100 mg kg −1 ) acids and subsequently packed in polyethylene pouches (25 μm thickness, 50 g pack size). The pastes were processed in an isostatic high pressure system at a pressure of 200, 400 and 600 MPa at 30 °C for 5 min. The high pressure and thermal treated samples were analyzed for various physico-chemical, enzymatic, sensory and microbiological parameters. The pH and titratable acidity were not significantly ( p E ), showed that there were significant differences ( p

The effect of passive modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on postharvest shelf-life of green chillies was studied. Different types of polymeric packaging films such as microporous, low density polyethylene (PE-LD), polyolefin and anti-fog films were used for MAP of green chillies. The respiration rate of the chillies varied significantly (p

Bread fruit (Artocarpus altils) is extensively grown in different parts of world and is a less valued fruit due to its short shelf life. Therefore, minimal processing technology was adopted for shelf life extension of this commodity in cut form. The fruits were peeled, sliced and washed with water containing sodium hypochlorite (available chlorine 50 mg.kg−1) followed by additive treatment in soak solution containing sodium benzoate (200 mg.kg−1), potassium meta-bisulphite (200 mg.kg-1), citric acid (2 g.kg−1), ascorbic acid (200 mg.kg−1) and calcium chloride (5 g.kg−1) for 90 min at ambient temperature (28 ± 2 °C) followed by draining and passive modified atmosphere (MA) packing in polyethylene pouches (75 μ). Minimal processing and MA packing was found to be highly helpful in ensuring the microbiological safety without the incidence of coliform and pathogens. The additive treatment could stabilize the respiratory pattern of the slices suggesting physiological stabilization of the product and this was observed in the equilibrated head space O2 and CO2 concentrations during MA storage. Colour profile in terms of L*, a*, b* values of the slices suggested colour stability of the product during MA storage. Texture was also better retained in the treated samples as compared to untreated control. The minimally processed and MA packed bread fruit slices showed a shelf-life of 45 days at low temperature (6 ± 10 C).

Aqueous ozone and chlorine treatments were evaluated for their effectiveness on postharvest quality of green chillies packed under passive modified atmosphere (MA) conditions. Ozone (30 mg) treatment was found significantly (p > 0.05) more effective in maintaining the postharvest quality of chillies as compared to chlorine-treated (100 mg kg−1) and untreated samples. Use of passive modified atmospheric packaging further maintained the quality of chillies and increased their shelf-life when stored at (8 ± 1 °C). Ozone washing also delayed senescence and maintained firmness of chillies during storage. The results suggest that microbial population in terms of total plate count, coliforms, as well as yeast and mold counts of fresh green chillies can be reduced without depleting its major bioactive compounds except for ascorbic acid using combined treatments of ozone wash and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). This combination treatment (ozone + MAP) also maintained pigment stability in chillies during storage and extended the shelf-life up to 36 days against 28 and 22 days in the case of chlorine-washed and untreated samples, respectively.

Summary Paneer was prepared from peanuts by soaking the nuts for 8 h followed by removal of skin, grinding, extraction of milk and coagulation using calcium sulphate (1% solution). In another method the peanut milk was high pressure processed at 600 MPa for 5 min before coagulation. The obtained paneer samples were vacuum packed and kept at refrigerated temperature (6 ± 1 °C) for storage and evaluated for physico-chemical, sensory and microbial attributes. High pressure processing of milk before coagulation resulted in increase in paneer yield significantly (P

Effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) strength, pulse duration and temperature used during PEF assisted blanching pretreatment on energy input, cell disintegration index and drying time of apple slices was studied. A central composite rotatable design was used for designing the experiment and to visualize the effect of variables on responses. The level of variables used in the design varied from 1 to 2 kV cm(−1), 25 to 75, and 60 to 80 °C for electric field strength, number of pulses and temperature of water during PEF assisted blanching pretreatment, respectively. The variables affected significantly the responses and polynomial quadratic models employed to visualize the effect of variables on different responses were found to fit well with high R(2) values (0.84–0.99) indicating fitness of the models in describing the effect of variables on responses. An optimized condition for variables was derived at 1.25 kV cm(−1), 50, and 80 °C for electric field strength, number of pulses temperature during PEF assisted blanching pretreatment, respectively with a desirability value of 0.85. High correlations were recorded between predicted and actual values for responses at optimized conditions of variables and the same can be used for production of dehydrated apple slices with low energy input.

Efficacy of variable high pressure, temperature and time on the browning causing enzymes and microbial activities, which are major spoilage factors during preservation of sugarcane juice, was studied. The juice was processed at 200-600 MPa pressure for 2-8 min at 40 and 60 °C and their effect on polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase as well as microbiological quality in terms of total plate count, yeast and molds and total coliforms was studied. Application of high pressures were found to cause significant decrease in enzymatic and microbial activities. The effects were found to be significantly more pronounced at 60 °C as compared to 40 °C. Process time also caused significant (p

Jam like product was prepared using high pressure (HP) processing technology and was compared with thermally processed one for quality attributes. Strawberry pulp was mixed with pectin (1%) and sugar and packed in low density polyethylene pouches (50 g pack size) and processed at 200, 400 and 600 MPa for 30 min at 50 °C. Ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activities were found to be significantly retained to a better extent in HP processed jams as compared to thermally processed one. The CIE L*, a* and b* values decreased significantly with increase in pressure, the decrease being of much lesser extent compared to thermally processed one. Increase in pressure was found to increase the sensory attributes for colour, appearance, flavour, texture and overall acceptability significantly; however, the scores were comparatively lesser than that of thermally processed jam. The sample processed at 600 MPa showed a shelf-life of 3 months on the basis of physico-chemical, sensory and microbial attributes when stored at ambient storage conditions (28 ± 5 °C).

Summary The effect of high pressure treatment and conventional thermal processing on the various quality attributes of garlic paste was evaluated in terms of physicochemical, enzymatic, sensory and microbiological parameters. Thermal treatment inactivated the polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase enzymes, whereas an enhanced activity was noted at 200 MPa which reduced significantly (P

Summary The interaction of pulsed electric fields (PEF) with different cryoprotectant and texturizing agents in quality retention of carrot discs was analysed. Increasing the permeability properties by PEF may lead to better accessibility of intracellular materials to freezing and thus reducing the freezing time, leading to better maintaining the texture after thawing. Carrot discs of 5 mm thickness were immersed in different solutions of CaCl2, glycerol, trehalose and tap water, and subsequently were treated with PEF (1 kV/cm, 100 pulses, 4 Hz). Then, the samples were drained and packed along with a control group in separate prepared polypropylene pouches. All the samples were frozen at −18 °C for 24 h and thawed during 3 h at ambient temperature (20 °C) the following day. The quality of the thawed carrot discs was certified by measuring weight loss, firmness, microscopic studies and CIE colorimetric attributes. All the PEF-treated samples, no matter what solution they were soaked in, could significantly (P 0.05).

Shellac (S) and Aloe vera gel (AG) were used to develop edible surface coatings for shelf-life extension of tomato fruits. The coating was prepared by dissolving de-waxed and bleached shellac in an alkaline aqueous medium as such as well as in combination with AG. Incorporation of AG in shellac coating improved permeability characteristics of the coating film towards oxygen and carbon dioxide and water vapours. The coatings when applied to tomatoes delayed senescence which was characterized by restricted changes in respiration and ethylene synthesis rates during storage. Texture of the fruits when measured in terms of firmness showed restricted changes as compared to untreated control. Similar observations were also recorded in the case of instrumental colour (L*, a* and b* values). The developed coatings extended shelf-life of tomatoes by 10, 8 and 12 days in case of shellac (S), AG and composite coating (S + AG) coated fruits, respectively; when kept at ambient storage conditions (28 ± 2 °C).

Summary The combination of pulsed electric fields (PEF) and texturizing and antifreeze agents on quality retention of defrosted potato strips were studied. Potato strips (10 mm thickness, 100 g) were placed in different solutions (1% w/v) of CaCl2, glycerol, trehalose as well as NaCl and sucrose, treated with PEF (0.5 kV cm−1, 100 pulses, 4 Hz). Then, all the samples were soaked in the same solutions for 10 min. After draining, samples were packed into polypropylene pouches and stored at −18 °C for 12 h. Samples were thawed out at room temperature (20 °C) in 3 h. Untreated controls and PEF treated control samples were also frozen and thawed in similar conditions. To assess the potato strip quality, the thawed samples were analysed for moisture content, weight loss, firmness and colour attributes. The results indicate that PEF treatment by itself is not a suitable pre-treatment method for frozen potato strips and should be assisted by CaCl2 and trehalose treatment to prevent softening after defrosting. Firmness analyses determined that application of PEF alone results in 2.38 N. However, PEF in combination with CaCl2 and trehalose result in 2.97 N and 2.99 N, respectively, which are both significantly firmer than the samples solely treated with PEF. CaCl2 and trehalose were effective in not only maintaining the structural integrity of the cells, but also retaining colour attributes. The L* value was found to be higher (P

Coconut water obtained from the mature coconuts was blended with lemon juice to develop a refreshing beverage. The levels of total soluble solids (°Brix) in the coconut beverage and lemon juice (%), were optimized using response surface methodology and considering pH, CIE L* value and sensory attributes (colour, aroma, taste, consistency and overall acceptability) as responses. A number total of 14 experiments were carried out following Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) keeping 6 experiments at centre point. The data obtained were analyzed using multiple regression technique and the quadratic equations (R(2), 98.14-99.89 %) were found to fit well in describing the effect of variables on responses studied. An optimum condition for the coconut water beverage was obtained at 13.5°Brix blended with 2 % lemon juice. The mature coconut water beverage blended with lemon juice showed a shelf-life of 6 months in packed conditions at low (5 °C), ambient (25 ± 2 °C) and high (37 °C) temperatures on the basis of physicochemical, microbiological and sensory attributes.

An attempt was made to utilize the residual coconut pulp left in the tender coconuts after removal of coconut water. The coconut pulp was mixed with pineapple pulp in different proportions to increase the acceptability of the jam. An increase in the level of coconut pulp was found to significantly (p < 0.05) increase the fat content as well as Na, K, and Ca contents in the jam. Texture profile analysis revealed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in hardness whereas adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness increased significantly (p < 0.05) with an increase in the level of coconut pulp in the jam affecting its setting quality. The L* and a* values were found to increase significantly (p < 0.05), whereas b* values decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with an increase in the tender coconut pulp level. The jam containing 75 % tender coconut pulp and 25 % pineapple pulp showed a maximum sensory acceptability for the mixed jam. The jam prepared at optimum conditions of coconut and pineapple pulp showed a good sensory acceptability after 6 months of storage at 28 ± 2 and 37 °C storage conditions on the basis of physicochemical and sensory attributes.

An osmotic-dehydration process protocol for Carambola (Averrhoacarambola L.,), an exotic star shaped tropical fruit, was developed. The process was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) following Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD). The experimental variables selected for the optimization were soak solution concentration (°Brix), soaking temperature (°C) and soaking time (min) with 6 experiments at central point. The effect of process variables was studied on solid gain and water loss during osmotic dehydration process. The data obtained were analyzed employing multiple regression technique to generate suitable mathematical models. Quadratic models were found to fit well (R(2), 95.58 - 98.64 %) in describing the effect of variables on the responses studied. The optimized levels of the process variables were achieved at 70°Brix, 48 °C and 144 min for soak solution concentration, soaking temperature and soaking time, respectively. The predicted and experimental results at optimized levels of variables showed high correlation. The osmo-dehydrated product prepared at optimized conditions showed a shelf-life of 10, 8 and 6 months at 5 °C, ambient (30 ± 2 °C) and 37 °C, respectively.

The effect of high-pressure processing on quality and shelf life of black tiger shrimp was studied. Shrimp was high-pressure processed at selected pressure levels of 100, 270, and 435 MPa for 5 min at room temperature (25 ± 2 °C). Changes in physical, biochemical, and microbiological characteristics after processing and during subsequent chilled storage were examined for 35 days. After processing significant (P

Summary The effect of high pressure processing on total antioxidant activity, phenolic and flavonoid content of black grapes juice was studied. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for designing the experiment keeping high pressure (400–600 MPa), temperature (40–60 °C) and processing time (2–4 min) as independent variables. The data obtained were analysed using multiple regression technique and quadratic models were found to fit well (R2, 85.61–96.65%) in describing the effect of high pressure, temperature and time on total antioxidant activity, phenolics and flavonoids. The optimum levels were found to be 550 MPa, 44 °C and 2 min for pressure, temperature and processing time, respectively (desirability, 95.00) for getting the maximum retention of total antioxidant activity, phenolics and flavonoids in the juice. The experimental and predicted valued of responses showed high correlation (R2, 99.26–99.90%) at the optimised levels of the variables.

The effect of different high pressure treatments on K-value, total plate count, enterobacteriaceae and organoleptic characteristics of yellowfin tuna chunks packed in ethyl vinyl alcohol (EVOH) films during chill storage (2 ± 1 °C) was studied. 50 g of fresh tuna chunks were placed in EVOH multilayer film pouches and vacuum packed for the trials. Tuna chunks were subjected to 100, 200 and 300 MPa for 5 min at 25 °C. Control was vacuum packed tuna without pressure treatment. K value, microbiological analysis and sensory characteristics were evaluated at periodic intervals. The K-value of the samples was found to decrease with increase in pressure when compared to the control. However, K-value was found to increase in all the samples during storage. Higher pressure treatment showed a decrease in the total plate count in the samples which increased during the storage. The Enterobacteriaceae decreased with increasing pressure and during storage. Control samples were sensorally acceptable up to 20 days of storage. During the storage period of 30 days 200 MPa treated tuna chunks was found most acceptable based on above parameters. Industrial relevance High pressure processing is a non thermal processing method which has wide applications in food industry. Fish is a highly perishable commodity and it has a limited shelf life in chill conditions. High pressure treatment has been found to effectively extend the shelf life of various products. In this study, HPP has been effectively demonstrated for enhancing the storage period of tuna at low temperature. Such studies can be commercially applied by fish processing industries to preserve the valuable catch and can enhance the marketing potential of tuna.

Effects of various osmotic agents (i.e., glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, sorbitol, and honey) were evaluated in terms of moisture loss and solid gain besides objective measurements of colour, texture, glass transition temperature; subjective sensory profile; and scanning electron microscopic cellular structure of osmotically dehydrated apple slices. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher solid gains were observed in the samples dipped in glucose and fructose solutions, whereas maltose-treated samples showed higher water loss. The glass transition temperatures varied from −68.4 to −45.6°C, minimum in the case of glucose and maximum in maltose-treated ones. The sucrose- and maltose-treated samples had significantly (p < 0.05) higher L* showing restricted browning. The a* value was maximum and minimum in the case of sucrose- and fructose-treated samples, respectively. Hardness was found to be significantly (p < 0.05) higher (20.104 N) in sucrose-treated samples, while it was at a minimum (4.441 N) in sorbitol-...

Apple slices, ozonised in water (1:2 w/v; 200 mg O3/h, for 5 min) and then soaked in a solution containing ascorbic acid (200 mg kg−1), citric acid (200 mg kg−1) and sodium benzoate (200 mg kg−1) for 10 min, were coated with edible surface coatings made up of shellac and aloe gel (AG), separately and in combination. Application of coatings was found to significantly (p

Fresh-cut carrots were ozonized in water (1:2 w/v; @ 200 mg O3/h) for 10 min and stored under controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions (2% O2, 5% CO2 and 93% N2) at 6 ± 1 °C and 85% RH for up to 30 d. Ozonation was found to reduce lignification and maintaining the keeping quality of fresh-cut carrots during CA storage. The maximum decrease in respiration and ethylene emission rates were obtained by the combination of CA with ozone followed by CA alone and ozonation compared with the control samples kept under low temperature (6 ± 1 °C). Significant (p

The effect of hydrocolloid pre-treatment, i.e., pectin, carboxy methyl cellulose, xanthan gum and sodium alginate on textural properties, drip losses and sensory quality as well as on glass transition temperature (Tg′′′) of the frozen-thawed pre-cut carrots was studied. Untreated frozen samples showed detrimental effects in texture and also excessive drip losses while the carrot tissue integrity was well retained in the hydrocolloid pre-treated samples. As the concentration of the hydrocolloid increased, hardness and fracturability were also found to increase. However, adhesiveness was observed to follow a reverse trend. Xanthan gum (0.4%) resulted in higher texture retention than other hydrocolloids used as well as than the control samples. Hydrocolloids imparted lightness and higher red and yellowness to the carrot samples due to reduced solute mobility and moisture conditioning effects. Overall acceptability of the hydrocolloid pre-treated samples was found to be more than the experimental control samp...

Shellac-based coatings were developed in combination with starch, EDTA and sodium alginate and were evaluated for shelf-life extension of fresh green chillies during storage at ambient temperature (26 ± 2 °C, RH 68 ± 4%) for 12 days. The developed composite coatings were found to be effective in extending the shelf-life of chillies. The control samples showed a higher weight loss (12.35%) compared to coated ones (5.60-6.90%). The coated samples showed significantly ( p p

Optimization of pretreatments – blanching and additives was carried out for frozen pineapple slices using response surface methodology (RSM). The effect of pre-treatments viz. blanching medium (10–20° Brix sucrose solution), calcium chloride (1000–2000 ppm) and ascorbic acid (200–400 ppm) was studied on hardness (N), colour ( L *), syneresis (%) and sensory attributes (colour, aroma, taste, overall acceptability) of the frozen slices after thawing. A Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) was used with six experiments at the central point. The data obtained were analysed employing multiple regression technique to generate suitable mathematical models. Quadratic models were found to fit well ( R 2 , 96.72–99.99%) in describing the effect of variables on the responses studied. Optimization of the pretreatments was carried out by maximizing the hardness, L * and sensory responses while keeping the syneresis at minimum level. Compromised optimum values for blanching medium, calcium chloride and ascorbic acid levels were found to be 17° Brix, 1493 ppm and 300 ppm; respectively. The experimental and predicted values showed high correlation coefficients. The optimized pretreatment was found to be helpful in maintaining the quality of frozen pineapple slices in terms of texture, colour and syneresis.

Textural properties of modified atmosphere packaged banana (var. Pachbale), stored at 13 ± 1°C, followed by ethrel induced ripening at 30 ± 1°C were studied. Modified atmosphere included active as well as passive types involving flushing of polyethylene pouches (100 gauge) with specific gas mixture (3% O2 + 5% CO2 + 92% N2) at partial vacuum (52.63 kPa), respectively. The MAP applications resulted in varied response of various textural parameters including penetration, shear, force-relaxation, and instrumental texture profile analysis. All the parameters showed a decline except adhesiveness with the progress in ripening. Both the gas flushed, as well as passive MAP stored samples, followed a trend similar to that for control ones, however, the partial vacuum packaged bananas showed persistence of overall texture followed by normal ripening under ethrel induction. The ripened fruits from all the three types of MAP applications did not show any impediment to the instrumental textural quality. In the case of...

The variety CoP 92226 was selected for preparing sugarcane juice beverage on the basis of yield and sensory attributes from eight promising varieties of sugarcane. Sugarcane juice beverage samples were prepared by pasteurizing the sugarcane juice at 70°C for 10 minutes and adding citric acid (40 mg/100 ml), ascorbic acid (40 mg/100 ml) and potassium metabisulphite (150 ppm). Samples of sugarcane juice beverage were stored at room (30±5°C) and refrigeration (4±2°C) temperature in pre-sterilized glass bottles and analyzed for physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory attributes at every 15 days interval for 90 days. The pH, total soluble solids and total sugars decreased, whereas, titratable acidity and reducing sugars increased significantly (P