Enhancing Quality and Safety in Orange Juice Production Through Nonthermal Technologies
摘要
This study investigates the efficacy of innovative nonthermal processing technologies, specifically pulsed electric fields (PEF), ultraviolet (UV) light, and the addition of orange peel extract (OPE) in producing safe, high-quality orange juice, contrasting these methods with traditional thermal pasteurization. The experiments employed a range of treatments, individually and in combination, to assess their impact on the orange juice’s physicochemical properties, microbiological safety, and sensory quality. Nonthermal treatments were applied as follows: PEF at 18.5 kV/cm for 500 µs, UV treatment at 254 nm with an average surface dose of 3.525 J/m2 for 20 min at 25 ± 1 °C, and the addition of 300 µL OPE per 100 mL of juice, alongside standard thermal pasteurization at 90 °C for 60 s and a control group of untreated juice. Results indicated that nonthermally processed juices exhibited significantly lower ascorbic acid degradation (11.11 to 20.5%) than thermal processing, resulting in a substantial 62.8% loss. Furthermore, nonthermal methods enhanced carotenoid extractability and phenolic retention, leading to superior antioxidant capacities compared to control and thermally processed samples. Microbial load assessments showed effective inactivation across all nonthermal treatments, aligning with sensory evaluations that ranked nonthermally processed juices higher than their thermally treated counterparts but lower than the control. Therefore, our findings advocate for adopting nonthermal processing technologies as a preferable alternative to thermal methods in orange juice production, effectively preserving nutritional and sensory attributes while ensuring microbial safety. This research underscores the potential of UV, PEF, and OPE as viable strategies to meet consumer demands for high-quality, healthful beverages without compromising their integrity.