Changes in quality attributes of pulsed light and thermally treated mixed fruit beverages during refrigerated storage (4 °C) condition

Abstract

The effect of batch pulsed light (PL) irradiation (3000 J cm−2) on the shelf-life of the beverage blend comprising apple ber (Indian jujube), carambola (star fruit), and black table grapes was investigated. The equivalent thermally treated beverage (90 °C|5 min) exhibited greater stability from microbial and enzymatic spoilage but retained 27% less antioxidants and 14% less vitamin C than PL-treated juice. Thermally and PL-treated blends possessed sensory scores of 5.8 and 7.2, respectively. The beverage's microbial shelf-life (population ≤ 6-log10 cfu/mL) was extended to 45 days at 4 °C after the PL treatment. The PL exposure did not alter the pH and soluble solids during storage. The PL-treated juice, after 45 days, was placed on par with the freshly prepared juice by the sensory panel. The PL-treated juice preserved 61% more antioxidants, 38.8% more phenolics, and 68.2% more vitamin C than the thermally pasteurized beverage after 45 days of refrigerated storage. Industrial relevance: While the fruit processing industry demands microbial safety and enzymatic stability, today's consumer demands juices of high nutritional quality. This study utilizes under-explored fruits like apple ber (Indian jujube) and carambola (star fruit) to make a shelf-stable mixed fruit beverage. This study will help the industry understand the potential of PL treatment in accomplishing microbial safety, enzymatic stability, and nutritional quality, along with the utilization of under-explored fruits.