Minimal Processing
Technology
Definition
Specific to purpose : those which minimally
influence the quality characteristic of a food
whilst, as the time, giving the food sufficient
shelf-life during storage and distribution (Huis
int Veld, 1996).
Techniques that preserve foods but also retain
to a greater extent their nutritional quality and
sensory characteristic by reducing the reliance
on heat as the main preservative action
(Fellows, 2000).
Minimal processing of fruits and
vegetables purposes
Keeping the produce fresh, without losing
its nutritional quality.
Ensuring a product shelf-life sufficient to
make distribution feasible within a region
of consumption.
Requirement for commercial
manufacture
Working
principles
Demands for
processing
Customers
Shelf-life (days) Examples of
at 5C
suitable fruit
and vegetables
Preparation
today,
consumption
tomorrow
Standard
kitchen
hygiene tools
No heavy
washing for
peeled and
shredded
produce;
potato in an
exception
Packages can
be returnable
containers
Catering
industry
1-2
Restaurants
Schools
Industry
Most fruits and
vegetables
Working
principles
Demands for
processing
Customers
Shelf-life (days) Examples of
at 5C
suitable fruit
and vegetables
Preparation
Disinfections
today, the
Washing of
costumers uses peeled or
the products
shredded
within 3-4 days
produce at
least with
water
Permeable
packages
Catering
industry
3-5
Carrot,
cabbage,
iceberg lettuce,
potato,
beetroot, acid
fruits, berries
Products are
also intended
for retailing
In addition to
customers
listed above,
retail shops can
also be
customers
5-7
(if longer shelflife up to 14
days is needed,
storage
temperature
must be 1-2C)
Carrot,
cabbage,
potato,
beetroot, acid
fruits, berries
Good
disinfection
Chlorine or
acid washing
for peeled
and shredded
produce
Permeable
packages
Additives
Restaurants
Schools
Industry
Form
Pre-peeled
Sliced
Grated
Shredded
Peeling
Slicing
Grating
Shredding
Relative stable commodity
(shelf-life several weeks to
months)
Perishable commodity
(shelf-life 1-3 days at
chilled temperature)
Cells are
broken,
intracellular
products are
released
Physiological and Biochemical
changes
The most important enzymes : polyphenol
oxidase that causes browning.
Lipooxidase catalyses peroxidation,
causing the formation of numerous bad
smelling aldehydes and ketones.
Increasing in ethylene production
neosynthesis of fruit matura#on enzymes
physiological disorder (ex. Softening)
Increasing respiration activity : 20%- more
than 700%, depending on the produce,
cutting grade, temperature.
Anaerobic
packaging
Anaerobic respiration : formation of
ethanol, ketones, aldehydes.
Microbiological changes
During peeling, shredding, grating the
surface of produce is exposed to:
Air
Contamination: bacteria, yeast, mould
Minimal processed vegetables usually low
acid (pH 5.8-6.0), high humidity, large
number of cut surface ideal for
microorganism growth
Predominat microflora of fresh leafy
vegetables : Pseudomonas and Erwinia
pectinolytic : soft rot
Increasing in temperature and CO2 in the
package will shift microflora towards lactic
acid bacteria.
Different minimally processed fruit and
vegetables, different spoilage pattern in
relation of the raw material characteristic.
Must be handled and stored at 5C to
achieve sufficient self-life and microbiological
safety, since the products are not heat
treated.
Spoilage organism in refrigerated produce
usually psychrotropic, therefore have
competitive advantage over most pathogens.
Some pathogen such as L.monocytogenes,
Y.enterocolitica, Salmonella spp., A.hydrophila
still survive and proliferate at low
temperaturebutminimally processed fruit
usually acidic, so they are relatively save
compare to other food.
Nutritional changes
Little data is known.
Hagg et al. (1996) : washing does not
significantly decrease the vitamin content
(vit. C and carotenes) of grated carrot,
shredded Chinese cabbage, and peeled
potatoes.
Improving quality of minimally
processed product
Preservation is based on the synergies
between individual steps (within a
framework of GMP and HACCP
management).
Raw material
Must be easily washable and peelable
Must be first class quality
Should be correct and proper stored,
carefully trimmed
Not all varieties of specified vegetables can
be used (ex. Carrot variety which gives
more juicy grated product can not be used
for product with self-life of several days)
Peeling, cutting, shredding
Some fruits and vegetables need peeling.
Ex. potatoes, carrots, apples.
Industrial scale peeling method:
mechanically, chemically, high pressure
steam.
Ideally: hand peeling with sharp knife.
Cutting and shredding must be performed
with knife as sharp as possible, made from
stainless steel.
Slicing machine should be installed solidly
vibra#ng machine can impair quality
Carrots cut with razor blade were more
acceptable than carrot cut with commercial
slicing machine from microbiological and
sensory point of view
Carborundum drum and steam disturb
vegetables cell wall which enhance the
microbial growth.
Relative quality
The effect of peeling method and storage time on the
odour and appearance of potato packed in a gas mixture
of 20%CO2, 80%N2 and stored at 5C
Odour (knife)
Odour (carbo)
Appearance (knife)
Appearance (carbo)
4
Storage time (days), +5C
Enzymatic peeling can be successful for
oranges (peel the albedo).
Cleaning, washing, and drying
Whasing:
1. incoming vegetable, before processing
(cleaning the soil, mud, sand)
2. after peeling/cutting : removes microbes and
tissue fluid reduces microbial growth and
enzymatic oxidation
ex. cabbage must be washed after shredded,
carrot must be washed before shredded
Washing in flowing water is preferable to
dipping into water
Water:
Good microbiological quality
Low temperatur: <5C
Washing water should be removed gently:
centrifuge (time and rate should be chosen
carefully)
Preservatives:
Used in washing water to reduce microbial
number and to retard enzymatic activity
improving shelf-life
100-200mg/l (chlorine or acetic acid). If chlorine
is used, material should be rinsed to reduce
concentration to the level of drinking water.
Not all country allowed chlorine. Alternatives:
chlorine dioxide, per acetic acid ozone, trisodium
phosphate, and hydrogen peroxide
Relative quality
The effect of washing solution and storage time on the
odour of grated carrot packed in air and stored at 5C
fresh (control)
0.5% citric acid
0.01% chlorine
water
no washing
2
4
Storage time (days), 5C
Browning inhibition
Enzymatic browning requires: oxigen, an
enzyme, copper, a substrat.
Preventing PPO browning:
Heating or inactivation of the enzyme
Removing the substrat (oxigen and/or phenol)
Lowering pH (2 or more below optimum pH)
Adding compounds that inhibit PPO or prevent
melanin formation
Compounds inhibit PPO
Sulphites :effective but dangerous sideeffect for asthmatic
Alternatives:
Ascorbic acid:oxidises to dehydro ascorbic acid
(DHAA). Best combined with citric acid. High
concentration of ascorbic acid (0.75%) produce
unpleasant taste in fruit.
Citric acid: chelating agent and acidulant.
Effective in combination with ascorbic acid or
benzoic acid.
4-hexylresorcinol: interact with PPO.
Advantages: specific mode of inhibitory action,
lower level of effectiveness, inability to bleach
preformed pigment, chemical stability.
EDTA: chelating agent.
Sulphydril-containing amino acid (ex. Cysteine):
reacting with quinone intermediate to form
stable, colourless compounds
Protease enzyme: hydrolyse PPO. Ex. papain,
ficin, bromelain
Biocontrol agent
Controlling pathogen growth using lactic
acid bacteria (LAB) that compete and thus
inhibit pathogen growth.
LAB can produce both metabolites (ex.
lactic and acetic acid that lowering pH) and
bacteriocin.
Packaging
MAP: a modified atmosphere can be
created passively by using properly
permeable packaging material, or actively
by using a specific gas mixture together
with permeable packaging material.
Usually, gas composition:
2-5% CO2
2-5% O2
The rest is nitrogen.
Edible coating:
Thin layers of material that can be eaten as part
of the whole food product
Potential: reduce moisture loss, restrict oxigen
entrance, lower respiration, retard ethylene
production, seal in flavour volatiles, carry
additives (ex. antioxidant that prevent
discolouration; antimicrobial that prevent
microbial growth)
Fig. 3 Decay (a), browning (b) and shriveling (c) rates of
minimally processed grape berries after 28 day storage.
Columns (each treatment) with unlike letters differ
significantly.
Storage condition
Processing, transport, display, and
intermediate storage should at the low
temperature (2-4C)
Avoid higher temperature and fluctuating
temperature (causes in-pack condensation)
Flow chart for Fresh-cut process
Harvesting
Spinning
Washing/cooling
Packing
Sorting
Storage
Cooling
Cutting
Washing
Transportation
to Retail Stores
