ABSTRACT
Quality and safety are the two major factors that drive the consumer acceptability of a processed food material. The conventional processing technologies utilizing heat suffer from the disadvantages of impaired organoleptic properties, nutritional damage, and other undesired effects. Increasing concerns over human health have led researchers and scientists to experiment with newer and better alternative technologies that can create foods with enhanced safety and better quality. Over the past few decades, a rapid progress in high-pressure (HP) research has enabled the development of a wide variety of value-added products by keeping quality better with freshlike characteristics. In recent years, there is a great demand for minimally processed fruits and vegetable products with rich avor and high quality. Fruits and vegetables are considered protective foods as they are rich in various bioactive compounds. The application of HP preserves the freshness and extends the shelf life of fruits and
6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 111 6.2 HPP of Pastes and Purees ............................................................................. 112
6.2.1 Quality of HP-Processed Pastes and Purees .................................... 113 6.2.1.1 Color ................................................................................... 113 6.2.1.2 Enzymatic Browning ......................................................... 114 6.2.1.3 Flavor ................................................................................. 115 6.2.1.4 Texture and Rheology ........................................................ 116 6.2.1.5 Vitamin Content ................................................................. 117
6.3 Microbiological Quality ............................................................................... 117 6.4 Biochemical Quality ..................................................................................... 118
6.4.1 Enzyme Activity ............................................................................... 118 6.4.2 Antioxidant Activity ......................................................................... 120
6.5 Quality of Pressure vs. Thermal Treated Purees .......................................... 120 6.6 Shelf Life and Storage Stability .................................................................... 121 6.7 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 123 References .............................................................................................................. 128
vegetables. Initially, pressure processing collapses the raw product (fruit/vegetable) and then it is suddenly “expanded.” Therefore, a fruit or a vegetable in its natural form may change its structural properties, instead of remaining in its original shape after pressure processing. This is why fruits or vegetables are generally pressurized in juice, pulp nectar, paste, or puree form. Pastes and purees are a convenient way of preserving fruits and vegetables that are otherwise perishable and seasonal in nature. These fruit derivatives have an improved edibility and palatability. Fruit purees are used in a variety of products including jams, preserves, and smoothies, and contain many health-promoting antioxidants. Commercialization of pressure-treated pastes and purees enables the consumers to avail the benets of fruits and vegetables in places distant from its production. Moreover, it provides shelf-life extension to the product, so that a greater number of consumers could have access to healthy and harmless food.
