Possibilities in Rapid Hygrothermal Pasteurization
July 21/Hakozaki, Japan/Journal of Technology & Science -- According to a paper written by scientists at Kyushu University, "We developed a novel rapid hygrothermal pasteurization (RHP) method using saturated water vapor with a dew point of 100 degrees C. In the present study, the effects of RHP on microbiological quality and quality attributes such as color changes, firmness and ascorbic acid content on many fresh-cut fruits and vegetables (cabbage, cucumber, carrot, cherry tomato, bell pepper, strawberry, pineapple and melon) were investigated. The RHP was performed within a second by free-falling samples through a cylindrical processing chamber filled with steam."
"The RHP resulted in a 0.7-2.0 log order reduction in the numbers of naturally inoculated mesophilic bacteria. Furthermore, the RHP induced no significant changes in color and firmness of samples, except on the leafy vegetable, cabbage. Ascorbic acid was also retained approximately 80% and above. These results indicate that the RHP is a clean and effective method for decontaminating mesophilic bacteria on fresh fruits and vegetables with minimal changes in quality.