Dissertation
IN-PACKAGE THERMAL PASTEURIZATION: EVALUATING PERFORMANCE OF FLEXIBLE PACKAGING AND OXYGEN SENSITIVITY OF FOOD COMPONENTS
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2020
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100064
Abstract
The optimum packaging material selection for in-package pasteurized food products is a complex process. Unlike sterilized food products where very high barrier packages are required to maintain longer shelf life at ambient conditions, medium/low barrier packages would be adequate for pasteurized products. Oxygen and water vapor barrier properties of packages are critical for retaining food quality during the storage and determining the shelf life. The objectives of this research were to understand: a) the sensitivities of different food components like vitamins, pigments, and lipids towards oxygen barrier properties of different packaging materials, b) the influence of thermal processing on package properties, and c) the potential of encapsulation in improving the storage stability of vitamin C.
The first and second studies investigated the storage stability of natural colorants and vitamin C in pasteurized vegetable purees stored at 4–13ºC towards packaging films with a range of oxygen transmission rates (OTR: 1–81 cm3 m-2 day-1 (cc). Betalains and vitamin C showed the highest sensitivity towards films OTR, while anthocyanins and β-carotene were relatively stable. Chlorophylls continued to degrade irrespective of package OTR. The third study focused on the storage stability of encapsulated vitamin C and fat-soluble vitamins (A & E) in mashed potatoes at 5ºC, and the effect of conventional (CP) and microwave-assisted thermal pasteurization (MAPS) on package properties. Encapsulation improved the storage stability of vitamin C in product packaged in low barrier packaging. Vitamins A and E showed excellent retention during storage regardless of selected packaging. Comparatively, greater changes in packaging barrier properties were observed in CP compared to MAPS. In the final study, the feasibility of biobased/biodegradable films with high OTRs (330–619 cc) was successfully assessed for in-package processing by selecting two different oxygen-sensitive recipes – beet mixed mashed potatoes and salmon in sauce.
These findings can help in the selection of optimum packaging for in-package pasteurization of pigments and vitamin-rich products. Encapsulation demonstrated the significance in improving the storage retention of vitamin C. The study on biobased/biodegradable packaging extended the applications of these films to high moisture and in-package processed food products with ≤10 days of shelf life.
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Details
- Title
- IN-PACKAGE THERMAL PASTEURIZATION: EVALUATING PERFORMANCE OF FLEXIBLE PACKAGING AND OXYGEN SENSITIVITY OF FOOD COMPONENTS
- Creators
- CHANDRASHEKHAR RAVINDRA SONAR
- Contributors
- Shyam S Sablani (Advisor)Juming Tang (Committee Member)Barbara Rasco (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Biological Systems Engineering, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 231
- Identifiers
- 99900581702301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation