The objective of this research was to evaluate the sensory acceptance and shelf life of a fresh cheese using dry bromelain extract as a coagulating agent. The dry bromelain extract was used in three concentrations (5%, 10% and 15% w / w) and the milk was used craw and pasteurized, for a total of six treatments under study. A sensory analysis was carried out and the useful life (sensorial, physicochemical and microbiological) of the treatment with greater acceptance was determined. The results showed that the cheeses obtained with greater sensory acceptance were those made with 5% w / w of bromelain dry extract regardless of the type of milk used (raw or pasteurized). The useful life of the selected product (T2) at the physicochemical level is 26 days, however sensory and microbiologically the product is of good quality until day 14. Therefore, the use of dry bromelain extract as a vegetable coagulant showed a great potential as a substitute for traditional rennet.

Contexto: La conservación de frutas mínimamente procesadas es un tema muy importante en la industria alimentaria debido al incremento en el consumo de este tipo de alimentos. Esta investigación estudia los efectos que provocan los recubrimientos comestibles a base de aloe vera y almidón de yuca en piña mínimamente procesada. Método: Se evaluaron propiedades como textura y color, y se realizó análisis microbiano después de 12 días de almacenamiento a 4 °C. Se probaron cuatro tratamientos (T1, T2, T3 y T4): piña Oro Miel con soluciones de recubrimiento con diferentes concentraciones de aloe vera/almidón (T1:75/25, T2:50/50, T3:25/75) y un tratamiento control (T4) que consistió en la fruta sin recubrimiento. Los recubrimientos se realizaron sumergiendo la fruta previamente procesada durante 1 min. Resultados: Los resultados indicaron que el tratamiento T2 obtuvo la mejor textura y T4 mostró una mayor luminosidad. Los parámetros microbiológicos se mantuvieron dentro de los establecidos por la Norma Técnica Colombiana (NTC 4519) para fruta mínimamente procesada durante los 12 días de conservación. Conclusión: El recubrimiento comestible puede mantener la textura e inhibir el crecimiento de microorganismos en la piña Oro Miel. Sin embargo, la luminosidad de la fruta puede verse afectada por el uso de estos recubrimientos comestibles.

This manuscript corresponds to exploratory research carried out to evaluate and define the operating parameters for applying osmotic dehydration (OD) as pretreatment for efficiency improvement in the convective drying of cassava bagasse, providing a methodology to apply these combined techniques, not only for cassava bagasse but also to serve as a reference for its use in other high-moisture agro-industrial residues. Operating factors significant for moisture loss during OD were determined through sieving analysis. Adequate levels and operating conditions were determined for OD and subsequent drying (osmotic agent concentration, solution-to-sample ratio, agitation speed, immersion time, required draining mesh, draining time, drying temperature, and drying air speed). It was established that an osmotic treatment was able to reduce the moisture of cassava bagasse from 87.7% to 28.94% and subsequent drying time by approximately 38.8%. These results allow the use of these combined techniques for drying cassava bagasse, which in turn, open a research agenda for its application in other agro-industrial residues, contributing to its handling, revaluation, and development of a sustainable agro-industry.

Background: The cassava starch industry is recognized as a source of negative externalities caused by the agroindustrial waste ‘cassava bagasse’. Even though options for bioconversion of cassava bagasse have been introduced, it is also true that hundreds of tons of this waste are produced annually with the consequent negative environmental impact. This agroindustrial context highlights the need for further research in technological proposals aimed at lowering the water contained in cassava bagasse. Methods: We report a scoping review of studies from 2010–2021 that mention the uses of cassava bagasse, as well as the technological options that have become effective for drying fruits and vegetables. The method used for selecting articles was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) method. Articles selected were taken from the databases of ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Scopus and Springer. Results: This review highlights fruit and vegetable osmotic dehydration and drying studies assisted by the combination of emerging technologies of osmotic pressure, ultrasound, and electrical pulses. Studies that take advantage of cassava bagasse have focused on biotechnological products, animal and human food industry, and development of biofilms and biomaterials. Conclusions: In this review, we found 60 studies out of 124 that show the advantages of the residual components of cassava bagasse for the development of new products. These studies do not mention any potential use of bagasse fiber for post-industrial purposes, leaving this end products’ final use/disposal unaddressed. A viable solution is osmotic dehydration and drying assisted with electrical pulse and ultrasound that have been shown to improve the drying efficiency of fruits, vegetables and tubers. This greatly improves the drying efficiency of agro-industrial residues such as husks and bagasse, which in turn, directly impacts its post-industrial use.