Tomislava Vukušić

Stability of polyphenols in chokeberry juice treated with gas phase plasma

Chokeberry juice was subjected to cold atmospheric gas phase plasma and changes in hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols and anthocyanins were monitored. Plasma treatments were carried out under different treatment times and juice volumes under constant gas flow (0.75dm(3)min(-1)). The results were compared against control (untreated) and pasteurized chokeberry juice (80°C/2min). During pasteurization, the most unstable were hydroxycinnamic acids with losses of up to 59%, while flavonols and anthocyanins increased by 5% and 9%, respectively. On the contrary, plasma treated chokeberry juice showed higher concentrations of hydroxycinnamic acids and 23% loss of anthocyanins in comparison to untreated juice. In order to obtain the optimal cold plasma treatment parameters principal component and sensitivity analysis were used. Such parameters can be potentially used for pasteurization in terms of phenolic stability of chokeberry juice. Optimal treatment was at 4.1min and sample volume of 3cm(3).

The effect of high power ultrasound and gas phase plasma treatment on Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. count in pure culture

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare two nonthermal techniques in the inactivation of moulds.

Modification of Physico-Chemical Properties of Acryl- Coated Polypropylene Foils for Food Packaging by Reactive Particles from Oxygen Plasma

This investigation was focused on the influence of long-living neutral reactive oxygen species on the physico-chemical properties of acryl-coated polypropylene foils for food packaging. Reactive species were formed by passing molecular oxygen through a microwave discharge and leaking it to a processing chamber of a volume of 30 L, which was pumped by a rotary pump. The density of neutral O-atoms in the chamber was tuned by adjustment of both the effective pumping speed and the oxygen leak rate. The O-atom density was measured with a catalytic probe and was between 3 × 1018 and 5 × 1019 m−3. Commercial foils of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) coated with acrylic/ poly(vinylidene chloride) (AcPVDC) were mounted in the chamber and treated at room temperature by O atoms at various conditions, with the fluence between 1 × 1021 and 3 × 1024 m−2. The evolution of the surface wettability versus the fluence was determined by water contact angle (WCA) measurements, the formation of functional groups by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the morphology by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The WCA dropped from the initial 75° to approximately 40° after the fluence of a few 1022 m−2 and remained unchanged thereafter, except for fluences above 1024 m−2, where the WCA dropped to approximately 30°. XPS and AFM results allowed for drawing correlations between the wettability, surface composition, and morphology.

State of the art of non-thermal and thermal processing for inactivation of microorganisms

Despite the constant development of novel thermal and nonthermal technologies, knowledge on the mechanisms of microbial inactivation is still very limited. Technologies such as high pressure, ultraviolet light, pulsed light, ozone, power ultrasound and cold plasma (advanced oxidation processes) have shown promising results for inactivation of micro‐organisms. The efficacy of inactivation is greatly enhanced by combination of conventional (thermal) with nonthermal, or nonthermal with another nonthermal technique. The key advantages offered by nonthermal processes in combination with sublethal mild temperature (<60°C) can inactivate micro‐organisms synergistically. Microbial cells, when subjected to environmental stress, can be either injured or killed. In some cases, cells are believed to be inactivated, but may only be sublethally injured leading to their recovery or, if the injury is lethal, to cell death. It is of major concern when micro‐organisms adapt to stress during processing. If the cells adapt to a certain stress, it is associated with enhanced protection against other subsequent stresses. One of the most striking problems during inactivation of micro‐organisms is spores. They are the most resistant form of microbial cells and relatively difficult to inactivate by common inactivation techniques, including heat sterilization, radiation, oxidizing agents and various chemicals. Various novel nonthermal processing technologies, alone or in combination, have shown potential for vegetative cells and spores inactivation. Predictive microbiology can be used to focus on the quantitative description of the microbial behaviour in food products, for a given set of environmental conditions.

Effect of treatment by non-thermal plasma jet on the growth of various food spoilage bacteria in superfluous

The efficiency of gas phase plasma at atmospheric pressure by using an electrical discharge in gas argon on the inactivation of microorganisms was examined. The gas phase plasma was applied to suspensions of pure cultures Escherichia coli 3014, Staphylococcus aureus 3048, Salmonella sp. 3064, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 23074 and Bacillus cereus 30. The experiments were planned and performed according to a statistical experimental design, specifically central composite design, which considered three independent variables: volume (2, 3 and 4 mL), gas flow (0.75 l and 1.25 l/min) and treatment time (3, 4 and 5 min). Two studied parameters, volume and treatment time, substantially affected the inactivation. For plasma treatment, the inactivation can be attributed to UV radiation and plasma reactive oxygen species (ROS). It was found that Gram- negative bacteria were more susceptible to the plasma treatment than Gram-positive bacteria, and that the susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria was remarkably species-dependent. Complete inactivation of Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., and Listeria monocytogenes was acheived when optimal combination of parameters was applied.

Three Pillars of Novel Nonthermal Food Technologies: Food Safety, Quality, and Environment

This review gives an overview of the impact of novel nonthermal food technologies on food safety, on quality, and on the environment. It confirms that research in this field is mainly focused on analyzing microbial and/or chemical aspects of food safety. However, recent research shows that in spite of various food safety benefits, some negative (quality oriented) features occur. Finally, this paper shows the necessity of analyzing the environmental dimension of using these technologies.

The Effect of Tribomechanical Micronization and Activation on Rheological, Thermophysical, and Some Physical Properties of Tapioca Starch

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of tribomechanical treatments on rheological, thermophysical, and some physical properties of tapioca starch. Samples of tapioca starch were treated using laboratory equipment for tribomechanical micronization and activation (TMA equipment). Before and after the TMA treatment, analysis of the particle size and particle size distribution was carried out, in addition to scanning electron micrography in tapioca starch. Scanning electron micrography showed that tribomechanical processing of tapioca starch resulted in breaking accumulations of starch granules in the form of granules. Pasting parameters have shown that maximal viscosities of model starch suspension have been decreasing after tribomechanical treatment. On the basis of gelatinization curves, it can be concluded that there are changes in the gelatinization point after treatment, and there is decrease in enthalpy of gelatinization for model suspension. After tribomechanical treatment, changes in physical properties of starch suspensions were determined, as well as specific swelling capacity, solubility index, and turbidity of tapioca starch suspensions.