New processing methods for 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 processing process for processing fruits and vegetables.

Background Art

[0002] In fact, for promoting the sales of vegetables and fruits, it is important that their appearance is beautiful and their organic quality is not impaired at the time of sale. However, vegetables and fruits are stored for a relatively long period from harvest to sale, and during this period, a surface oxidation phenomenon called "burning" is likely to occur from the dehydrated state.

[0003] Currently, various products are used as coatings to enhance the appearance and storage properties of fruits and vegetables. One of them is Semperfresh (registered trademark), a product based on sucrose esters.

[0004] Generally, for coating composition it is necessary to dissolve the product in water in advance and then apply it to the fruits by dipping, spraying, showering, etc.

[0005] E471 is a food additive composed of mono- and diglycerides of edible fatty acids. Since this substance is harmless even when used in foods, it is widely used in the food industry (for example, industrial production of bread and bakery / confectionery products). This substance functions as an emulsifier, a gelling agent, an antioxidant, a carrier for a coloring agent, and a coating agent. In the case of a coating agent, generally, after dissolving it in water, methods such as dipping the fruits in the solution, spraying the solution, and applying it by shower spraying are taken.

[0006] However, these coating methods are insufficient because it is necessary to apply water to the fruits. In addition, since mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids have a high viscosity, coating has been difficult until now. In particular, under normal working conditions, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids evaporate, so that the coating becomes uneven effectively, aggregates are formed in the product, the sales conditions are not satisfied, and it has not contributed to the preservation of quality.

[0007] Furthermore, because fruits such as strawberries and pears are very easily damaged, some treatments (such as dipping, waxing, and individual packaging) are problematic in terms of handling and processing, making them unsuitable for use. [Overview of the project]

[0008] Therefore, it was necessary to provide a processing method that could appropriately address these issues.

[0009] The inventors have developed a fatty acid mono- and diglyceride coating process that can improve the quality of coating films in an unexpected way. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of fatty acid mono- and diglycerides on coated fruits is Make it clear This makes it possible to effectively avoid deterioration caused by burning.

[0010] Therefore, according to the first objective, the present invention is Using a coating composition Fruits and vegetables Processing method for processing This concerns the following, and includes: - At temperatures between 250°C and 330°C of The composition Thermal fogging; - obtained in this way The composition aerosol of, the aforementioned fruit and vegetables to coating cloth; Furthermore, the composition Includes the following: - edible fat Acid mono Glycerides and edible fatty acids diglycerides Glycerides of one or more edible fatty acids selected from, and - A solvent with a boiling point of 150-260°C.

[0011] Thus, despite the difficulties in applying monoglycerides of fatty acids, this process has been demonstrated to provide a homogeneous coating that suppresses gas exchange between the fruit and the air, thereby slowing down fruit metabolism.

[0012] In the process according to the present invention, the surface of the coated fruit becomes impermeable to water (moisture-resistant), which reduces moisture loss and significantly improves quality by delaying ripening.

[0013] The process according to the present invention makes it possible to form an extremely fine mist corresponding to a particle size of about 10 microns or less under target temperature conditions, thereby obtaining an aerosol of good quality.

[0014] Therefore, the process according to the present invention provides a means for homogeneous coating of stored fruits and vegetables, and has a protective effect that slows ripening and surface browning (scalding) when the fruits are exposed to ambient conditions from the refrigerator.

[0015] According to the present invention, the solvent in this example is used to nebulize the mono and diglycerides of fatty acids at the target nebulization temperature. of It provides the action of vectors.

[0016] Thermal fogging (or thermonebulization) is understood to refer to a process that involves applying a very fine mist (where the droplet size is on the order of micrometers) produced by spraying a liquid into a stream of hot air, which serves as a carrier for the aforementioned treatment composition. Generating the mist in this way enables uniform application.

[0017] This technology itself is known and is described in French Patent Application Publication No. 98015305 and French Patent Application Publication No. 9904534.

[0018] Thermal fogging can be effectively performed using thermal foggers as described in French Patent Application Publication No. 8704960, particularly the ELECTROFOG® device sold by XEDA INTERNATIONAL.

[0019] A thermal fogger typically consists of a high-pressure fan, an electric resistor, and a positive-displacement pump, strictly maintaining the consistency of the characteristics of the generated fog and ensuring that the treatment composition in the storage chamber is introduced very gently and gradually.

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

[0021] According to French Patent Application Publication No. 9415329, in particular, thermal atomization at the outlet mist temperature of a thermal atomization device effectively selected from 110°C to 200°C is described, especially Satisfaction The mist is said to be obtained at the outlet temperature of a thermal atomization device consisting of 130 to 180°C, preferably about 160°C.

[0022] Coating by thermal fogging can be carried out continuously or intermittently during the storage period. If possible, it is carried out in the storage housing before filling, or repeated every about two months.

[0023] However, it has been confirmed that such a thermal fogger cannot atomize mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids in a sufficient manner under normal operating temperature conditions (usually 110 to 200°C, or 240°C).

[0024] In the previous processing steps for vegetables and fruits, it has not been assumed that the atomization temperature exceeds 250°C.

[0025] Thermal atomization is preferably between 260 and 300°C as much as possible.

[0026] In this example, the term "thermal atomization temperature" refers to the temperature of the mist at the outlet of the thermal atomization device.

[0027] The temperature of this thermal fogging is different from the "heating temperature" at which the air is heated by the thermal fogger before injecting the liquid.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the above Edible fatty acids Monoglycerides and diglycerides 、 Glycerol Things and It is a dioleate. Use additive E471 if possible.

[0029] This includes fats and animal products (cow's stomach, horns, lard, animal fat, etc.), and plant-based foods. oil( palm oil Soybean oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil It is obtained by hydrolysis from oils, etc. E471 is a commercially available material. 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, and monopropylene glycol is a particularly good example.

[0031] In this embodiment, the coating composition It uses multiple solvents Including It is specified that the solvents must have a boiling point of 150-260°C.

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

[0033] In fact, the inventors , Ne Suction from the blister supply pump To make it easier Therefore, we confirmed that ethanol can reduce viscosity at low temperatures.

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

[0035] Typically, coating composition This includes the following: - 2 0-40 weight %of food fatty acids for mono and diglycerides and - 5 0-70 weight % dissolve Medium.

[0036] Typically, coatings as defined above. composition It can be applied without prior dilution, or dispersed in water, especially hot water. In this case, the percentages shown above are for the undiluted product.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the coating composition It may include one or more additional ingredients, such as additives commonly used in the processing of fruits and vegetables.

[0038] Therefore, coating composition It may further include one or more nonionic emulsifiers, lecithin, soybean oil, one or more bases, water, one or more organic solvents such as alcohol, and / or one or more emulsifiers such as Tween, e.g., Tween 80, sucrose esters, and ethoxylated fatty alcohols.

[0039] Among fruits and vegetables, pears, strawberries, apples, peaches, nectarines, and apricots are particularly noteworthy. It is especially effective for strawberries and pears.

[0040] The amount to be applied varies depending on the quantity of produce being treated, storage conditions, and the desired degree of ripeness of the produce during storage and / or processing. Generally, 10 to 200 g of the composition is applied per ton of fruit or vegetable.

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

[0042] The treatment can be done in the orchard or after harvest. If possible, it should be done after harvest.

[0043] The processing can be carried out before the agricultural products are placed in the storage room, or inside the storage room (such as a cold room).

[0044] The composition can be applied to fruits and vegetables that are stored in boxes or pallets prior to sale, or, if possible, stored outside of boxes or pallets. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0045] The following examples are provided not as a reference but for illustrative purposes of the present invention.

[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 150-260°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 experiment was conducted using pears (Abate Fetel variety) following the procedure below. In a refrigerator at 2°C, the composition of Example 1 (using an Electrofog® device at 295°C) ThermonebulizerThe fruits were treated with 1.5 L of the composition, while fruit samples (untreated control) were kept outside the refrigerated room and then returned to room temperature storage. Each fruit was manually rolled on the ground for approximately 1 minute to provide friction and impact. After 8 days (T1), four samples were treated: the control group, the cold-treated sample, the sample heated for 18 hours, and the sample heated for 24 hours. All samples were visually evaluated on days 8 and 9, and then returned to their enclosures. After 1 week (T2), two samples were treated, and the control group and one treated sample were evaluated.

[0048] result: One week later (T1), the control sample fruit turned black immediately when subjected to friction or impact. Of the treated fruits, those processed at low temperatures showed black spots, but the two samples that were heated (for 18 or 24 hours) showed virtually no deterioration.

[0049] Two weeks later (T2): Operated in T1, room In the two samples returned to the control group, a deterioration in quality was observed. some Large black spots were observed on the fruit due to the processing. Multiple black spots were also seen on the treated samples, but the fruits treated after a warming period had a better appearance and fewer black spots compared to the fruits treated while cold.

[0050] Among the treated samples evaluated at T2, the control group showed black spots related to friction and handling, but the treated samples showed less degradation and a better appearance.

[0051] Summary : In fruit evaluation, it has been demonstrated that treated samples show less damage than untreated fruit samples.

[0052] Repeated application during storage enhances the effectiveness of the composition.

[0053] Comparative Example Additive E471 has high viscosity (it is paste-like at room temperature). , alone Nebulizer It cannot be made fluid, so it must be diluted with a solvent.

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

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

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

Claims

1. A method for treating fruits and vegetables with a coating composition, wherein the method is: - Thermal fogging of the composition at temperatures between 250°C and 330°C, - Application of the aerosol of the composition obtained in this manner to the fruits and vegetables, Includes, Furthermore, the above composition, - One or more glycerides of edible fatty acids selected from monoglycerides and diglycerides of edible fatty acids, - A solvent having a boiling point of 150 to 260°C, wherein the solvent is monopropylene glycol. Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glyceride of the edible fatty acid is glycerol monooleate and glycerol dioleate.

3. The composition is - 5 to 60% by weight of the edible fatty acid glycerides, and - 40-95% by weight of solvent The method according to claim 1 or 2, including the method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the composition further comprises one or more emulsifiers.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coating composition further comprises ethanol.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a thermal fogging step of fogging the composition at a temperature between 260 and 300°C.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising applying 10 to 200 g of the composition per ton of processed fruits and vegetables.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising applying the composition in a storage chamber.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fruits and vegetables are selected from strawberries and pears.