Next-generation non-thermal processing technologies for fruit and vegetable juices: a review of quality, safety, and sustainability
摘要
Fresh and high-quality juice is gaining increasing demand among consumers; however, issues such as food safety and shelf life continue to be a concern. Sterilisation is typically associated with high-temperature processes that eliminate pathogenic microorganisms and inactivate enzymes responsible for food deterioration. Applying high temperatures on food may result in off-odours and off-flavours that leads to adverse effects on thermolabile nutrients. As a result, food technologists have been investigating non-thermal treatment processes as alternatives to achieve food safety without compromising the nutrients in food products. Non-thermal processes have gained popularity for their capability to preserve both food safety and quality. These methods facilitate the food production process that exhibit properties similar to fresh foods since they undergo minimal treatment. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and other nutritive compounds beneficial for human health. Therefore, converting fruits and vegetables into juice is one of the preferred methods for consumption. This article reviews the principles, effects, and applications of non-thermal preservation technologies in juice production and preservation, including high-pressure processing (HPP), ultrasound processing (US), ionising irradiation processing (IR), and pulsed electric field processing (PEF). These non-thermal processing technologies seem to be as effective as thermal treatments in preserving food quality and safety. However, these technologies also have strengths and weaknesses, which may lead to challenges, and they require further research for improvement.