Non-thermal pasteurization of functional apple juice enriched with Brazilian ginseng roots extracts (Pfaffia glomerata) applying supercritical technology

Abstract

The study of new non-thermal processes of pasteurization of food products is a subject that has gained prominence in recent years, mainly due to the increase in the demand for the consumer market for functional products. Conventional thermal-pasteurization promotes the degradation of the thermosensitive natural compounds responsible for nutritional quality in fruit juices used as a basis in the formulation of functional beverages. In addition, the use of thermal pasteurizing processes is associated with the modification of the sensorial characteristics of the products due to the cooking process during the application of the heat treatment, thus reducing the added-value of the product. In this sense, the use of supercritical fluid technology, in particular supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2), viable a non-thermal solution for food pasteurization. The use of SC-CO2 at high-pressure has been evaluated as an efficient method to inactivate bacteria, viruses and yeast, besides enzyme inactivation. However, the application of supercritical technology in the non-thermal pasteurization of natural beverages is not yet fully elucidated by the researches carried out to date. In this context, the aim of this project is to evaluate the effects of supercritical technology using CO2 high-pressure as a non-thermal pasteurization process for a functional apple juice obtained from the addition of the aqueous root extracts of the Brazilian ginseng (P. glomerata). (AU)