Eliane Maurício Furtado Martins

Minimally processed yellow melon enriched with probiotic bacteria

The demand for healthy diets with fresh foods, especially minimally processed fruits and vegetables, resulted in a variety of products available to consumers...

Fruit salad as a new vehicle for probiotic bacteria

This work aimed to study the use of fruit salads as carriers for Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001. We evaluated the viability of this probiotic in fruit salads and the phsyico-chemical, microbiological and sensory properties of this food. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to verify microorganism adhesion on the fruit tissues. The viability of L. rhamnosus in fruit salads was 8.49 log CFU.g-1 after 120 hours. SEM images showed that fruit tissue provided protection for probiotic. Adhesion sites were observed in higher quantity in banana, apple and guava. The addition of L. rhamnosus did not alter texture of fruits (p > 0.05). Fruit salads containing probiotic had different values of pH and acidity compared to the control (p 0.05). Fruit salads containing L. rhamnosus showed counts of psychotrophic microorganisms of at least 2.0 log CFU.g-1 lower than control salad after 120 h of refrigerated storage. The fruit salad was well accepted by consumers. Therefore, this product can be used as a carrier for probiotic and an alternative to consuming functional foods.

Comparison of vacuum impregnation and soaking techniques for addition of the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus to minimally processed melon

This study aimed to evaluate the vacuum impregnation (VI) and soaking methods in the addition of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-3 to minimally processed melon (MPM). The melons were washed, sanitised in chlorine solution (200 mg L ), peeled and cutted into cubes. Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-3 (1.4 9 10 CFU g ) were added to the MPM through both techniques. The L. acidophilus LA-3 count in MPM was similar to those commonly found in dairy products having probiotic claim, but VI was more efficient than soaking in maintaining the viability (8.61 and 7.98 Log CFU g , respectively). The pH, acidity and soluble solids were not affected by probiotic culture and the incorporation technique; however, the VI affected the firmness of fruit. The MPM was within Brazilian standards for their microbiological characteristics. MPM may be used as a carrier of probiotic bacteria, being one more alternative for individuals who consume probiotic products.

Qualidade do leite cru dos tanques de expansão individuais e coletivos de um laticínio do município de Rio Pomba, MG - um estudo de caso

This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological and physico-chemical quality, and verify the occurrence of microbial growth inhibitors in raw milk maintained in expansion tanks of a dairy industry located in Rio Pomba, Minas Gerais, Brazil.. It was collected 36 samples of raw milk from 12 expansion tanks in three replicates and determined the count of mesophilic aerobic, psychrotrophic and proteolytic psychrotrophic microorganisms. It was also determined the somatic cell count, the occurrence of pus and inhibitors of microbial growth in milk samples. Moreover, it was determined physico-chemical composition of milk. It was found that 80.0% of samples were in disagreement with standards established by Normative Instruction n.o51, once mesophilic microorganisms and somatic cells counts were above 7,5 x 10 5 , in addition to the presence of pus and microbial growth inhibitors substances. Also, the count of psychrotrophic and proteolytic psychrotrophic microorganisms were high, which compromises production of dairy products such as cheese, UHT milk, among others. However, we found no irregularities in levels of protein, fat, lactose, and total solids. Therefore, the implementation of good agricultural practices during handling, storage and transportation of raw milk to the dairy industry is necessary in order to minimize financial losses during production and to obtain better quality and safety of dairy products.

Application of antioxidants to extend the shelf life of processed minimally yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius)

The effects of different chemical agents that retard browning were evaluated on the shelf life of minimally processed yacon. The tubers were immersed in solutions of cysteine hydrochloride, citric acid combined with ascorbic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid/EDTA and sodium metabisulfite. Analysis of pH, total titratable acidity, soluble solids, water activity at 5°C and moisture at 5°C and 10°C for until 96 hours of storage were carried out. Colour and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity was also assessed. The samples showed statistically different physic-chemical properties, depending on the antioxidants used. The colour of the yacon was influenced by time, but the treatments were not different from one another. It was observed that the antioxidants used, except for EDTA, had a significant decrease in enzymatic activity of PPO compared to the control. The assessed antioxidants maintained the colour of the yacon, making their properties similar to those of fresh product.

ANÁLISE DE RISCO NA AVALIAÇÃO DA INFLUÊNCIA DA MARCA NA ACEITABILIDADE NÃO SENSORIAL DE REQUEIJÃO CREMOSO

Consumer behavior is influenced by intrinsic (sensory characteristics) and extrinsic (non-sensory characteristics) of the product. Among the non-sensory factors, highlights been studied by various areas of knowledge and strength channeled through companies in order to entice the consumer at the time of purchase. In recent decades, many statistical methods have been employed in order to study this important influence on consumer behavior, both in marketing as in sensory analysis. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of brand on the acceptance of cheese using the statistical technique of relative risk. Thus, the sensory test was conducted in two sessions, with the first, the samples were presented coded (test without information) and the second presented with their respective brands. Comparing the results obtained for the two sessions, it was found that there was no change in acceptance of the cheesecurd for all brands and technical statistical analysis showed the relative risk of easy application, interpretation and effective in studies of non-sensory characteristics of food.

Efeito de yacon na aceitação sensorial de kefir e viabilidade de bactérias láticas na bebida

Kefir is a beverage resulting from the fermentation of kefir grains in pasteurized or sterilized milk. Regular consumption can have beneficial effects on consumer health. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the addition of yacon on the sensorial acceptance of kefir as well as the viability of lactic acid bacteria present in the beverage. Two formulations, F1 (kefir with papaya pulp and banana) and F2 (Kefir with papaya pulp and banana added with yacon) were elaborated. Analyzes of lactic bacteria and total and thermotolerant coliforms were carried out, besides the sensorial analysis with 50 non-trained evaluators. The microbiological analyzes were within the standard of the current legislation. As for lactic acid counts, the formulations presented similar values, and it can not be said that yacon helped their growth. The product was accepted for color and aroma for both formulations and for kefir with yacon acceptance in the parameter acidity and overall impression. Regarding flavor, both formulations presented values close to the indifference region, but the yacon sample improved the acceptance in taste and overall impression. During the sensorial analysis, it was observed that some evaluators still did not know the kefir, which emphasizes the importance of its popularization in the region.

Doce em massa misto de jabuticaba e maçã adicionado de albedo de melancia

Este trabalho objetivou elaborar, caracterizar e avaliar a qualidade do doce em massa misto de jabuticaba e maca adicionado de albedo de melancia. Para isso, o doce foi elaborado e avaliado em ate 90 dias de armazenamento, quanto ao pH, solidos soluveis, umidade, acidez titulavel, fibra bruta, acido ascorbico, cinzas, cor, fungos filamentosos e leveduras e aceitacao sensorial. As analises fisico-quimicas e microbiologicas apresentaram congruencia com a literatura e a legislacao ao comparar os diferentes tempos de armazenamento. Na analise sensorial, verificou-se que o doce nao apresentou diferencas estatisticas nos tempos 0 dia e 90 dias de armazenamento, relativas aos atributos cor, sabor, aroma, aparencia, consistencia e impressao global. Porem, houve diferenca significativa no atributo intencao de compra, no qual o doce armazenado no tempo 0 dia apresentou maior escore medio (4,26). O doce foi seguro para consumo humano e apresentou boa aceitacao pelos provadores, sendo tecnologicamente viavel sua producao.

Increased thermal stability of anthocyanins at pH 4.0 by guar gum in aqueous dispersions and in double emulsions W/O/W

This study investigated the potential of guar gum and a double emulsion to increase the thermal stability of anthocyanins. The effect of different guar gum concentrations (0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.25%, 1.5% and 1.75%) was evaluated in relation to color stability, concentration of anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity under storage for 10 days at 40 °C in the presence of light. The addition of guar gum (0.75-1.75%) significantly increased the color stability and bathochromic displacement of the samples, suggesting the occurrence of a co-pigmentation process. The total anthocyanin content was to 41% after storage in treatments without guar gum, but when using 1.25% guar gum the final concentration was 70% and there was a 2.4 fold increase in the half-life time of anthocyanins. A significant effect of guar gum addition on the antioxidant capacity of the samples was observed. In the second step, the anthocyanins were added together with 1.25% guar gum in the internal aqueous phase of the double emulsion and stored for 10 days at 40 °C in the presence of light. The double emulsion presented high encapsulation efficiency (90.6%) and high kinetic stability under the conditions evaluated, in addition to protecting anthocyanin molecules against degradation.

In vitro and in vivo resistance of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG carried by a mixed pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merril) and jussara (Euterpe edulis Martius) juice to the gastrointestinal tract

This study evaluated the viability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and its in vitro and in vivo resistance to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) when carried by a mixed fermented pineapple and jussara juice. The effects of product ingestion on the biochemical characteristics of the blood and on the development of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in Wistar rats were also determined. The LGG viability in probiotic juice was higher than 7.2 log CFU/mL throughout 28 days at 8 °C. The mean count of the probiotic microorganism in the fecal samples of the rats was 5.6 log CFU/g, identical to the count at the end of the in vitro trial (enteric phase II), indicating that the mixed pineapple and jussara juice was an excellent vehicle for LGG. No difference (p > .05) was verified to ACF among the groups. However, the results for the probiotic culture viability and its in vitro and in vivo resistance to the gastrointestinal tract suggest that this juice is an excellent carrier matrix for LGG and contributed to a reduction in the levels of the LDL (low density lipoprotein) fraction of the blood cholesterol, thus being an aid in the control of coronary diseases.