New methods for processing fruits and vegetables

Abstract

The present invention relates to a treatment process in which fruits and vegetables are treated with one or more mono- and diglycerides of edible fatty acids, which provides a uniform coating means that retards deterioration of the treated fruits and vegetables over time.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a new process for treating fruits and vegetables. [Background technology]

[0002] In fact, it is important that vegetables and fruits have a beautiful appearance and that their organic quality is not compromised at the time of sale in order to promote sales. However, vegetables and fruits are stored for a relatively long period from harvest to sale, during which time they are prone to surface oxidation, a phenomenon known as "burning," due to dehydration.

[0003] Currently, various coating products are used to enhance the appearance and shelf life of fruits and vegetables, one of which is Semperfresh®, a sucrose ester-based product.

[0004] Generally coating composition To apply, the product must be dissolved in water beforehand and then applied to the fruit by dipping, spraying, or showering.

[0005] E471 is a food additive consisting of mono- and diglycerides of edible fatty acids. It is widely used in the food industry (e.g., in the industrial production of bread and bakery / confectionery products) because it is harmless to food. It functions as an emulsifier, gelling agent, antioxidant, colorant carrier, and coating agent. As a coating agent, it is typically dissolved in water and then applied by dipping fruit in the solution, spraying the solution, or showering.

[0006] However, these coating methods are insufficient because they require the application of water to the fruit. Furthermore, the high viscosity of fatty acid mono- and diglycerides has traditionally made application difficult. In particular, under normal operating conditions, the fatty acid mono- and diglycerides evaporate, resulting in an ineffective coating that forms clumps in the product, which does not meet sales requirements and does not contribute to preserving quality.

[0007] Additionally, fruits such as strawberries and pears are very sensitive to bruising, so some treatments (e.g., soaking, waxing, individual packaging) make them difficult to handle and process, making them unusable. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Therefore, it has become necessary to provide a treatment process that can adequately address these issues.

[0009] The present inventors have developed a process for applying mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids that can improve the quality of the coating in an unexpected way. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids on coated fruit has been investigated. Reveal This makes it possible to effectively avoid deterioration caused by burning.

[0010] Therefore, in accordance with a first object, the present invention provides a method for producing a cellular membrane comprising: Using the coating composition Fruits and vegetables Processing method for processing It relates to, and includes: - At temperatures between 250°C and 330°C of The composition thermal fogging; - obtained in this way of the composition aerosol The aforementioned fruit and vegetables to coating cloth; The composition also Includes: - edible fat Acid mono of glycerides and edible fatty acids diglycerides Glycerides of one or more edible fatty acids selected from and - Solvents with boiling points between 150 and 260°C.

[0011] Thus, despite the difficulty of applying mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, this process has been demonstrated to provide a homogeneous coating that inhibits gas exchange between the fruit and the air and slows fruit metabolism.

[0012] The process according to the present invention makes the surface of the coated fruit impermeable (moisture-proof), thereby reducing water loss and retarding ripening, thereby significantly improving quality.

[0013] The process according to the invention makes it possible, under the targeted temperature conditions, to obtain a good quality aerosol, forming a very fine mist, corresponding to a particle size of about 10 microns or less.

[0014] The process according to the invention therefore provides a means of uniformly coating stored fruits and vegetables, which has a protective effect in retarding ripening and surface browning (scald) when the fruit is exposed from the refrigerator to ambient conditions.

[0015] In accordance with the present invention, the solvent in this example is a mixture of fatty acid mono- and diglycerides at the target nebulization temperature. of Provides vector behavior.

[0016] Thermal fogging (or thermonebulization) is understood to refer to a process consisting of applying a very fine mist (where the droplet size is of the order of micrometers) produced by injecting a liquid into a current of hot air, which acts as a carrier for said treatment composition. The generation of this mist allows for a uniform application.

[0017] This technique is known per se and is described in patent applications FR 98015305 and FR 9904534.

[0018] Thermal fogging can be effectively carried out by means of thermal foggers as described in patent application FR 8704960, in particular the ELECTROFOG® device sold by XEDA INTERNATIONAL.

[0019] Thermal foggers typically consist of a high-pressure fan, electrical resistance, and positive displacement pump to maintain strict consistency in the characteristics of the fog produced and to ensure a very gentle, gradual introduction of the treatment composition within the reservoir chamber.

[0020] In conventional methods, the condition for obtaining droplet sizes of 0.5 to 10 microns, particularly on the order of 1 micron, which are characteristic of thermal fogging mist, was to heat the air to a temperature of 400°C to 650°C before injecting the liquid.

[0021] French patent application FR 9415329 describes in particular thermal atomization with an outlet mist temperature of the thermal atomization device advantageously selected between 110°C and 200°C, in particular Satisfactory The mist is said to be obtained at an outlet temperature of the thermal atomizer comprised between 130 and 180°C, preferably about 160°C.

[0022] Thermal fogging applications can be continuous or intermittent throughout the storage period, preferably in the storage enclosure before filling, or repeated approximately every two months.

[0023] However, it has been found that such thermal foggers are unable to atomize fatty acid mono- and diglycerides in a satisfactory manner under normal operating temperature conditions (usually 110-200°C or even 240°C).

[0024] In previous vegetable and fruit processing processes, it was not anticipated that the atomization temperature would exceed 250°C.

[0025] Thermal atomization should be performed at temperatures between 260 and 300°C whenever possible.

[0026] In this instance, the term "thermal atomization temperature" refers to the temperature of the fog at the outlet of the thermal atomizer.

[0027] This thermal fogging temperature is different from the "heating temperature" that a thermal fogger uses to heat the air before spraying the liquid.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the of edible fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides 、 Glycerol Things and Dioleate. Use additive E471 if possible.

[0029] This includes fats, animal products (such as beef tripe, horn, lard, and tallow), and plant-based foods. oil( Palm oil , soybean oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower E471 is a commercially available material and is obtained by hydrolysis from The main distributor is Stearinerie Dubois.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the solvent is selected from food grade solvents having a boiling point temperature between 150 and 260° C., in particular monopropylene glycol.

[0031] In this example, the coating composition is a mixture of multiple solvents. Including At least one of the solvents has a boiling point of 150 to 260°C.

[0032] Therefore, according to one advantageous embodiment, the coating composition is, for example, in an amount of 0 to 30% (by weight of the composition) ,moreover Ethanol may also be included.

[0033] In fact, the inventors , Ne Blaser supply pump suction Facilitate Therefore, it was confirmed that ethanol can reduce viscosity at low temperatures.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the coating composition teeth, below Includes. - 5 ~60 weight %, Preferably 20~40 weight %of edible fatty acid of Mono- and diglycerides; and -4 0~95 weight %, Preferably 50~70 weight % of solution Medium.

[0035] Typically, coating composition contains the following: - 2 0~40 weight %of Food fatty acids for Mono- and diglycerides of ; and - 5 0~70 weight % of solution Medium.

[0036] Typically a coating as defined above composition can be applied without prior dilution or dispersed in water, especially hot water, in which case the percentages given above are before dilution.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the coating composition The composition may contain one or more additional ingredients, particularly additives commonly used in the processing of fruits and vegetables.

[0038] Therefore, the coating composition may further comprise one or more emulsifiers such as one or more non-ionic emulsifier(s), lecithin, soybean oil, one or more bases, water, one or more organic solvents such as alcohol, and / or Tween, e.g., Tween 80, sucroesters, ethoxylated fatty alcohols.

[0039] Fruits and vegetables include pears, strawberries, apples, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. It is especially effective on strawberries and pears.

[0040] The amount applied will vary depending on the quantity of fruit or vegetables to be treated, the storage conditions, and the desired degree of storage and / or ripening of the fruit or vegetables. Generally, 10-200g of the composition is applied per ton of fruit or vegetables.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the composition and fruit or vegetables and The contact time is 10 seconds or more and 10 minutes or less.

[0042] Treatment can be done in the orchard or after harvest, preferably after harvest.

[0043] Treatment can be carried out before the produce is placed in the storage compartment or while in the storage compartment (such as a refrigerator compartment).

[0044] The composition can be applied to fruits and vegetables stored in boxes or pallets, or preferably outside of boxes or pallets, prior to sale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] The following examples are offered by way of illustration of the invention and not by way of definition.

[0046] implementation example 1. Coating Composition preparation To prepare 1 kg of coating agent, add 400 g of food additive E471, a food solvent with a boiling point of 150 to 260°C, for example, 400 g of monopropylene glycol with a boiling point of 184°C, and 200 g of ethyl alcohol.

[0047] 2. Coating composition Application and effects The test was carried out using pears (Abate Fetel variety) according to the following procedure. In a refrigerator at 2°C, the composition of Example 1 (at 295°C using an Electrofog® device) ThermonebulizeThe fruits were treated with 1.5 L of the composition (prepared for the treatment of citric acid) while a sample of fruit (untreated control) was kept outside the refrigerator and subsequently returned to indoor storage. Each fruit was manually rolled on the ground for approximately 1 minute, subjecting it to friction and impact. After 8 days (T1), four samples were treated: a control, a cold-treated sample, a sample treated for 18 hours, and a sample treated for 24 hours. All samples were visually evaluated on days 8 and 9 and then returned to their enclosures. After one week (T2), two samples were treated and evaluated: a control and one treated sample.

[0048] result: After 1 week (T1), the fruits of the control sample turned black immediately upon friction or impact. Of the treated fruits, those treated at low temperature showed dark spots, whereas the fruits from the two warmed (18 or 24 h) samples showed virtually no deterioration.

[0049] Two weeks later (T2): operated at T1, room The two samples returned to the control group showed a deterioration in quality. some The fruit showed large dark spots due to handling, and although the treated samples had multiple dark spots, the fruit treated after the warming period had a better appearance and fewer dark spots than the cold-treated fruit.

[0050] Of the treated samples evaluated at T2, the control group showed dark spots related to friction and handling, while the treated samples showed little deterioration and had a good appearance.

[0051] Summary : Evaluation of the fruit demonstrated that treated samples were less damaged than untreated fruit samples.

[0052] During storage, repeated applications increase the effectiveness of the composition.

[0053] Comparative Example Additive E471 has high viscosity (paste-like at room temperature) , alone Nebulize This is not possible, and in order to make it fluid, it must be diluted with a solvent.

[0054] In this way, the additive E471 was diluted with ethyl alcohol in the same proportions as in Example 1. This mixture was then heated at a temperature equal to 240°C under the conditions described in Example 2. Nebulize did.

[0055] After the ethanol evaporated, the additive remained pure and this nebulization attempt was unsuccessful. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0056] [Patent Document 1] French Patent Application Publication No. 98015305 [Patent Document 2] French Patent Application Publication No. 9904534 [Patent Document 3] French Patent Application Publication No. 8704960 [Patent Document 4] French Patent Application Publication No. 9415329

Claims

1. A method for treating fruits and vegetables with a coating composition, the method comprising: - thermal fogging of said composition at temperatures between 250°C and 330°C; - applying the aerosol of the composition thus obtained to the fruits and vegetables; Including, The composition also comprises: - one or more glycerides of edible fatty acids chosen from monoglycerides of edible fatty acids and diglycerides of edible fatty acids, - Solvents with boiling points between 150 and 260°C A method comprising:

2. The method described in claim 1, wherein the glycerides of edible fatty acids are glycerol monooleate and glycerol dioleate.

3. The method described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the solvent is monopropylene glycol.

4. The composition, - 5 to 60% by weight of glycerides of said edible fatty acids, and - 40 to 95% by weight of solvent 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising:

5. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the composition further comprises one or more emulsifiers.

6. The method described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the coating composition further contains ethanol.

7. A method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a thermal fogging step in which the composition is fogging at a temperature between 260 and 300°C.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising applying 10 to 200 g of the composition per tonne of treated fruit and vegetables.

9. The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising applying the composition in a storage chamber.

10. The method described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the fruits and vegetables are selected from strawberries and pears.