Anabel Rodriguez

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation (0.6, 1.2, and 1.8 KGy doses) on rotavirus inactivation (RVA) and the quality of Esmerald fresh blueberries. Dosimetry measurements revealed absorbed doses of 0.72, 1.46, and 2.16 KGy. The D ₁₀ value for RVA inactivation was determined to be 3.03 ± 0.03 KGy, exceeding the maximum 2.5 KGy dose permitted for fresh fruit, indicating that gamma irradiation alone is insufficient for effective RVA inactivation without significantly impacting blueberry quality. On the other hand, the absorbed doses (0.72, 1.46, and 2.16 KGy) did not affect most of the physicochemical parameters or the nutritional profile. However, a dose‐dependent decrease in mechanical properties and enzyme activity was observed. Therefore, achieving effective RVA inactivation in fresh blueberries could require a combined approach, integrating gamma irradiation, ideally at doses up to 1.46 KGy, with complementary methods. This combined strategy could offer a promising intervention for the inactivation of RVA in fresh produce. Practical Application: Blueberries, due to their specific characteristics, are particularly susceptible to viral contamination. Conventional sanitation methods, such as washing, are inadequate as they can affect the texture, integrity, and appearance of the fruit. Gamma irradiation is a non‐thermal preservation method that improves food safety and extends shelf life while causing minimal alterations to the natural attributes of fresh produce. According to our results, gamma irradiation showed potential to inactivate RVA in blueberries. However, to achieve complete inactivation, a dose higher than the allowed dose (2.5 KGy) is required. Furthermore, our study revealed that irradiation treatments with doses lower than 2.5 KGy had a negative impact on the mechanical properties of blueberries, while they had a limited impact on the inactivation of the enzyme. In this regard, further studies are needed to explore combined strategies that effectively inactivate RVA and enzymes without compromising the delicate quality of fresh produce.

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Summary: The objective of the present work was to evaluate the combined effect of the application of edible coatings (sodium alginate and low methoxyl pectin) and different osmotic dehydration conditions (sucrose solution: 40 and 60 °Brix, temperatures: 20 and 40°C and times: 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 h) on pear cubes (water loss, solid gain, performance ratio, the total colour differences, mechanical properties, phenolic content and sensory analysis). The results indicated that samples coated with low methoxyl pectin and treated under 60 °Brix for 16 h at both temperatures (20 and 40°C) presented the best process performance. Statistical analysis showed that the application of the coatings resulted in greater firmness and stiffness of the pear cubes at the end of osmotic dehydration. Besides, alginate coating best preserved the phenolic content (31.4%) than uncoated (26.04%) and pectin‐coated (20.77%) ones. However, total colour differences were not improved with the use of edible coatings (alginate or pectin). In terms of quality, the samples coated with both hydrogels had good overall acceptability by the evaluators and good mechanical properties. However, further studies are required to decrease the difference in colour and leaching of bioactive compounds in pear cubes due to the osmotic dehydration treatment.

Summary: The aim of this work was to evaluate the behaviour of two edible films (sodium alginate and low‐methoxyl pectin) under different osmotic conditions (solutions: sucrose, glucose syrup and maltodextrin; concentrations: 40 °Brix and 60 °Brix; temperature 40 °C and processing times: 0.5, 1 and 2 h). From the experimental water loss and solid uptake kinetics, effective diffusion coefficients and the dehydration performance ratio were obtained. The microstructural characteristics of the osmodehydrated films were also analysed using pear as a food matrix. The results showed that films osmodehydrated with maltodextrin and glucose syrup solutions presented higher dehydration performance ratio values than those osmodehydrated with sucrose. A reduction in the thicknesses of edible coatings was observed. The best formulation was sodium alginate 2% and calcium lactate 5% according to the microstructural analysis and structural integrity for at least up to 16 h of osmotic dehydration.

Stone fruits (plums, peaches, nectarines, cherries and apricots) are widely consumed fresh or processed. Osmotic dehydration – immersion of food pieces in hypertonic solutions – is often used as a pretreatment to further conservation procedures for these fruits. Usually, it is characterized determining the variation with time of water loss and solution solids gain. Both variables depend on food size, shape, structure and process conditions, and there are no general correlations for their variation.As an alternative, it is important to develop relations between water and soluble solids content independent of product characteristics and process conditions.In this work, we developed experimental values of relevant variables for stone fruits dehydrated in glucose or sorbitol and included them in linear correlations between water content and soluble solids for different stone fruits dehydrated in sugar or polyalcohol solutions and in a general linear correlation that allows to characterize both properties with only one rapid determination (of any of both).Practical Applications: Linear correlations for the variation of soluble solids content as a function of water content during osmotic dehydration were generalized to a unique linear regression equation independent of type of fruit and/or solute and valid for any process condition, which allows to characterize both properties with only one rapid determination (of any of both). This correlation can be easily used under process conditions to monitor the advance of osmotic dehydration of fruits.

Nectarines, plums and peaches were dehydrated with osmotic solutions (glucose at 60°Brix or sorbitol at 60°Brix) at temperature of 35°C for scheduled periods (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 h). Thermal properties of fresh and osmotically dehydrated fruits were measured by DSC where samples were heated from −40°C to 40°C at a rate of 2°C min