Innovative technologies for producing minimally processed (MP) foods that apply the concept of combination of preservation factors are addressed in this article with special emphasis on a new combined approach that has been successfully applied in several Latin American countries for MP high-moisture fruit products (HMFP). HMFP can be regarded as a different approach to the commercially available and widely accepted MP concept for fruits and vegetables (even if developed for the same purpose of obtaining freshlike high-quality products with an extended shelf life) that is better adapted to Latin American countries in terms of independence of the chill chain and the use of simple and energy-efficient technologies. The continuous refrigeration hurdle associated with MP refrigerated fruits is not included in the preservation system of HMFP because a different combination of hurdles must be overcome to enhance the shelf stability of nonrespiring vegetable tissues while preserving freshlike character. Guidelines to obtain safe and high-quality MP fruit products are proposed. Other products preserved by combined factors technology are also discussed, as well as some other classical and new preservation factors whose application could enhance the quality of HMFP.

No abstract

Stress factors studied included 0.95 a, adjusted with sucrose and glycerol, pH (4.0, 3.5, and 3.0), potassium sorbate (0, 500, 1000, and 1500 ppm) and sodium bisulfite (0, 100, and 150 ppm). These were tested on a strain of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii isolated from an intermediate moisture (IM) papaya product. 2. rouxii was very sensitive to SO,. A combination of 100 ppm SO,, 500 ppm sorbate and pH 4.0 is recommended to prevent spoilage of IM fruits by Z. rouxii. The minimum a, for growth in sucrose-glycerol broth was between 0.62 and 0.64 in the absence of antimicrobials and in the range of optimal pH for this yeast.