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Title: Processing technology: The quest for quality
Date: 07/06/2006
Autor: By Mrs H.E. Berg and Ms I. van Nijhuis
There is a growing interest in all areas of non-thermal processing in the food industry in Europe. Although the main focus remains their affect on the inactivation of micro-organisms, these new technologies can also influence the quality of the end product. TNO has conducted an extensive research program looking at the effects of technologies such as High Intensity Light, Ultra Violet Light, Ultra High Pressure (UHP), Pulsed Electric Fields and E-beam on product quality and safety as well as the performance of packaging material.
UHP processing, in particular, has also attracted attention because of its positive effect on the texture of fresh ingredients and the possibility it provides to create new ingredient textures. Its use for meats, chilled salads, ready-to eat meals, filled soups, dressings and fresh snack products is therefore promising.
When compared to sterilisation and pasteurisation, UHP results in better texture, colour, flavour, nutritional value and taste due to the application of low temperatures (between 5 and 40°C) combined with pressures from 2,000 up to 10,000 Bar.
Influence on ingredients
The influence of UHP processing on individual ingredients like proteins, carbohydrates and fats is not yet clearly understood and in its recent research TNO studied the influence of UHP processing on soy based ingredients in particular to discover more about the interactions that take place.
Soy was selected because of the valuable components it contains such as phytosterols (molecules with a positive bio-activity) and proteins, and TNO looked at the effect that UHP processing has on these compounds compared with traditional heating.
Also, as soy protein is often used to replace animal proteins, its structure formation was an important property to be studied, along with the inactivation of the enzyme lipoxygenase, which is responsible for quality deterioration during storage.
TNO found that lipoxygenase activity is decreased by 60% after UHP treatment at 4,000 Bar and at 5ºC. Heat treatment for 30 minutes at 63°C (pasteurisation conditions) was required to obtain similar results. However, after UHP treatment at double the pressure (8,000 Bar), at 5ºC, no lipoxygenase activity was measured at all.
The bio-activity of the phytooestrogenes meanwhile was not negatively influenced by UHP processing; and the gel strength of soy protein gels after UHP processing was found to be higher than after heat treatment. Analysis of protein structure using CD spectroscopy indicated that UHP processing results in less rigorous alterations in protein structure compared with heat treatment.
The combination of these results indicates interesting possibilities for development of healthy soy based food products using UHP processing.
TNO also studied a variety of meat, fish, salads, vegetable and fruit products in a variety of different packaging formats as part of its research. The main focus of attention was the microbiological quality of the product; the physical
qualities of the packaging and the migration of substances from the packaging into the product, as well as the sensorial qualities of the products and the interaction of the various ingredients.
Initial findings highlight that some ingredients, for example baked or fried ingredients, benefit from a coating, which protects them from losing crustiness caused by moisture migration during and after UHP treatment. However, most
ingredients (fruits and vegetables) were found to remain discreet and keep their freshness. This knowledge opened the door for TNO to develop new snack concepts with an extended shelf life (at ambient temperature or as a refrigerated snack) and a healthy and fresh character. This is called the ‘BreakBar’ concept. The fresh ingredients used in these UHP treated convenience food products retain their own identity in taste, texture and appearance. As shown in the picture, a combination of vegetables (fresh maize, celery, herbs) and fish was used. Better prediction possibilities now go together with a broadening field of application for UHP treatment.
Knowledge of the microbiological safety of ingredients and the sensorial and structural qualities of assembled products increased considerably during TNO’s research and the information is likely to result in the development of some interesting new convenience food products
Date: 07/06/2006
Autor: By Mrs H.E. Berg and Ms I. van Nijhuis
There is a growing interest in all areas of non-thermal processing in the food industry in Europe. Although the main focus remains their affect on the inactivation of micro-organisms, these new technologies can also influence the quality of the end product. TNO has conducted an extensive research program looking at the effects of technologies such as High Intensity Light, Ultra Violet Light, Ultra High Pressure (UHP), Pulsed Electric Fields and E-beam on product quality and safety as well as the performance of packaging material. UHP processing, in particular, has also attracted attention because of its positive effect on the texture of fresh ingredients and the possibility it provides to create new ingredient textures. Its use for meats, chilled salads, ready-to eat meals, filled soups, dressings and fresh snack products is therefore promising.
When compared to sterilisation and pasteurisation, UHP results in better texture, colour, flavour, nutritional value and taste due to the application of low temperatures (between 5 and 40°C) combined with pressures from 2,000 up to 10,000 Bar.
Influence on ingredients
The influence of UHP processing on individual ingredients like proteins, carbohydrates and fats is not yet clearly understood and in its recent research TNO studied the influence of UHP processing on soy based ingredients in particular to discover more about the interactions that take place.
Soy was selected because of the valuable components it contains such as phytosterols (molecules with a positive bio-activity) and proteins, and TNO looked at the effect that UHP processing has on these compounds compared with traditional heating.
Also, as soy protein is often used to replace animal proteins, its structure formation was an important property to be studied, along with the inactivation of the enzyme lipoxygenase, which is responsible for quality deterioration during storage.
TNO found that lipoxygenase activity is decreased by 60% after UHP treatment at 4,000 Bar and at 5ºC. Heat treatment for 30 minutes at 63°C (pasteurisation conditions) was required to obtain similar results. However, after UHP treatment at double the pressure (8,000 Bar), at 5ºC, no lipoxygenase activity was measured at all.
The bio-activity of the phytooestrogenes meanwhile was not negatively influenced by UHP processing; and the gel strength of soy protein gels after UHP processing was found to be higher than after heat treatment. Analysis of protein structure using CD spectroscopy indicated that UHP processing results in less rigorous alterations in protein structure compared with heat treatment.
The combination of these results indicates interesting possibilities for development of healthy soy based food products using UHP processing.
TNO also studied a variety of meat, fish, salads, vegetable and fruit products in a variety of different packaging formats as part of its research. The main focus of attention was the microbiological quality of the product; the physical
qualities of the packaging and the migration of substances from the packaging into the product, as well as the sensorial qualities of the products and the interaction of the various ingredients.
Initial findings highlight that some ingredients, for example baked or fried ingredients, benefit from a coating, which protects them from losing crustiness caused by moisture migration during and after UHP treatment. However, most
ingredients (fruits and vegetables) were found to remain discreet and keep their freshness. This knowledge opened the door for TNO to develop new snack concepts with an extended shelf life (at ambient temperature or as a refrigerated snack) and a healthy and fresh character. This is called the ‘BreakBar’ concept. The fresh ingredients used in these UHP treated convenience food products retain their own identity in taste, texture and appearance. As shown in the picture, a combination of vegetables (fresh maize, celery, herbs) and fish was used. Better prediction possibilities now go together with a broadening field of application for UHP treatment.
Knowledge of the microbiological safety of ingredients and the sensorial and structural qualities of assembled products increased considerably during TNO’s research and the information is likely to result in the development of some interesting new convenience food products
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