บทคัดย่องานวิจัย

หมวดหมู่ : ฐานข้อมูลงานวิจัย

Fresh-cut products from cactus species.

Goldman G., Liguori G., Vinokur Y., Horev B., Lurie S., Rodov V.

5th International Postharvest Symposium . Volume of Abstract . Verona, Italy 6-11 June 2004. page 30

2004

บทคัดย่อ

Fresh-cut products from cactus species. Various species of Cactaceae family can serve as a source of delicious and nourishing fresh products having a number of documented positive health effects.However, today their consumption is mainly limited to very specific ethnic niches.Marketing cacti as ready-to-eat (fresh-cut) products may significantly expand their consumption, o­n condition that quality, safety and longevity of the product would answer the demands of the market.

The present study involved a number of fresh-cut products prepared from different edible cactus species, e.g. sliced and/or peeled fruit of cactus pear Opuntia ficus-indica, sliced and/or peeled fruit of pitaya (dragon fruit) Hylocereus undatus, peeled fruit of cactus apple (koubo) Cereus peruvianus sliced pads of vegetable cactus (nopalitos) Nopalea cochenillifera.

The lifespan of the products depended o­n storage temperature.Peeled cactus pear and pitaya fruit could be stored at 4 °C for at least 14 days with acceptable visual, organoleptic and microbiological quality.At 8 °C, storage duration of more than 10 days was accompanied by a sharp increase of yeast population.At 20 °C, peeled cactus fruit could be kept for not more than 2 to 3 days before demonstrating decay signs.Packaging peeled cactus fruits in microperforated polypropylene film allowed better quality maintenance than in the case of macropeforated film (holes of 5 mm in diameter).Slicing markedly accelerated the deterioration of texture and flavor of cactus pears as compared to peeled non-sliced fruit.

Trial shipment of peeled cactus fruit from Israel to Europe was well accepted by marketing experts.