ศูนย์นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีหลังการเก็บเกี่ยว

Sensory and microbiological changes in minimally processed cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica).

Saenz, C., Berger, H., Galletti, L. and Coronado, F.

ISHS Acta Horticulturae 553: 709-710.

2001

บทคัดย่อ

The changes in gas composition including the sensory and microbiological characteristics during the storage of minimally processed cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) were studied. Cactus pear was immersed in citric acid (1%, 14 deg C, 10 minutes). The fruit was packaged (0.1 atm) and stored (4 deg C, 80% relative humidity). The bags used were BB4 (EVA) and perforated (PE; the control). After 14 days of storage in BB4 bags, the gas composition for the samples with citric acid showed 45.6% CO2 and 0.79% O2. The same procedure for samples without citric acid showed 43.3% CO2 and 0.8% O2. PE bags contained 0.03% CO2 and 21.0% O2 for the same storage period. The aerobic bacteria count was 101-102 cfu/g at the beginning of the storage period; after 14 days, the count in PE bags was 3-4 cfu/g. The bacteria count was <10 cfu/g and the E. coli was <3 cfu/g at the end of the storage period. The yeast and mould counts were less than 10 cfu/g throughout 14 days of storage. The immersion treatment produced a lower rate of total growth count in BB4 bags than in PE bags. The sensory characteristics remained constant during the storage period, for almost all quality attributes. The acceptability differed between the immersion treatments, producing a better acceptance of the fruit without immersion and in BB4 bags (7.1 points). The immersion treatment produced a lower rate of total growth count in BB4 than in PE bags. Under the present study conditions, with minimally processed cactus pears, 7 days of storage in BB4 bags is recommended.