Stability of Dehydrofrozen Green Peas Pretreated with Nonconventional Osmotic Agents

Green peas were submitted to osmotic pretreatments in carbohydrate-salt syrups to evaluate the effect of alternative agents on quality and assess the stabilization accomplished during subsequent storage in a wide temperature range-down to −24°C, including the −3 to −12°C detrimental zone. Green color and L-ascorbic acid loss were kinetically studied, and their temperature dependence was modeled by Arrhenius and Will-iams-Landel-Ferry equations. Dehydrofrozen samples exhibited significantly improved stability, with the rate of L-ascorbic acid loss, being reduced by as much as 3-fold for peas osmotically pretreated with oligofructose, trehalose, and maltitol systems. The cryostabilization results are discussed in relation to glass transition behavior of the modified osmodehydrofrozen food matrix.