No abstract

No abstract

Abstract. In food production, it is essential to implement preventive measures aimed at improving the quality of products, namely decontaminating them of microorganisms causing food poisoning. Effective sanitisation of food production equipment allows preventing products’ contamination by pathogenic microflora and by microorganisms that lead to spoilage of food. The paper presents a study of the effect of plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions on the process of disinfection of food production equipment. Activated aqueous solutions have been characterised, and it has been shown how they affect pathogenic microflora present on the surfaces of equipment involved in meat production and processing. Analysis of microbiological indicators (QMAFAnМand coliform bacteria) has shown that the number of pathogenic bacteria decreased by half on all surfaces of the processing room even at the peroxide concentration 100 mg/l, while at the concentration 500 mg/l, we observed complete destruction of pathogenic microflora both in the poultry slaughter room and in the diseased animal slaughterhouse. The disinfecting properties of plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions in the process of production of chicken mincehave been analysed. After the surfaces of the cutters were treated with the activated aqueous solutions having the peroxide concentration 500 mg/l, the equipment was found to be completely sterile: no microflora was detected in the wipe samples, and this dynamics was observed for 7 days. The use of the disinfectant proposed stops the development of any microflora on the surface of technological equipment. The level of microbiological contamination of the finished meat product (chicken mince) after treating the equipment with plasma-chemically activated solutions has been studied, their peroxide concentrations being 100 to 700 mg/l. No pathogenic microflora (in particular, nocoliform bacteria and mould) was detected in the finished meat products obtained after the equipment was treated with the disinfectant solution at a concentration higher than 500 mg/l. Plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions with the concentration of peroxides 500 mg/l are considered optimal for disinfection of the technological surfaces and equipment of meat processing enterprises, since they ensure complete removal of pathogenic microflora and allow obtaining a product free from pathogens.

Scientists and specialists of food processing industry are increasingly focused on the technology of storage of raw materials of animal origin in antiseptic ice. The paper presents the peculiar features of plasma-chemical activation of solutions to produce antiseptic ice and their further use in the storage of meat and fish. The process of treatment leads to formation of micro-particles of hydrogen peroxide, which in contact with the raw materials are capable of generating active oxygen, allowing to disinfect the raw material surface. Concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the solutions further used to produce antiseptic ice has been determined. Study of the features of use of antiseptic ice made of plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions showed unchanged organoleptic properties of raw materials after using the presented antiseptic agent. Suppression of viable microflora owing to antimicrobial action of plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions was recorded. Antiseptic ice contributes to long-term disinfection of raw materials. For example, the samples show absence of microflora of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms and bacteria of the Escherichia coli group, which allows improving the quality of stored food raw materials. At the concentration of peroxides at the level of 600-700 mg/l, pathogenic microflora in meat and fish samples is not present at all. When meat and fish raw materials are stored in ice for 30 days, pathogenic microflora does not appear, and it confirms the long-term disinfecting action of antiseptic ice. Slower accumulation of amino-ammonia nitrogen is observed during long-term storage of meat and fish raw materials. The use of plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions for the production of antiseptic ice and storage of meat and fish raw materials in it can partially prevent the processes of protein breakdown and, accordingly, increase the product shelf life. The paper describes technological parameters of the process of storage of meat and fish in antiseptic ice, which can be used in the industrial storage of raw materials, and provides the guidance for use of ice of plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions in the process of storage of raw materials of animal origin.

Studying the specific technological features and functional properties of foodstuffs made with the addition of malt is  a  particular priority for scientists and experts in the food processing industry. The paper deals with the peculiarities of malt processing, namely, with how it is humidified by means of plasmochemically activated aqueous solutions with different concentrations of hydrogen peroxides. The study presented deals with hydrothermal treatment of dry malt with solutions activated by the action of non-equilibrium contact plasma. In the course of this treatment, microparticles of hydrogen peroxide are formed. When in contact with the raw materials, they can form active oxygen, which is an agent stimulating biochemical transformations that activate the mashing and  extraction of malt. The hydrogen peroxide concentration has been determined for the solutions used for further hydrothermal treatment of malt. It has been established which modes of hydrothermal treatment of dry germinated barley grain with plasmochemically activated aqueous solutions ensure the fastest absorption of moisture by malt. The highest water  absorption  rate was observed in the samples with activated water where the peroxide concentration was 600mg/l. It has been studied how the degree of malt swelling changed with the temperature and mash ratio. When ordinary water was used, the optimum mash ratio was 1:4 (65°С), and with activated water, a similar result was obtained with the mash ratio 1:3, which allows reducing water consumption in the process. The process of malt mashing has been studied, and the malt extracting capacity analysed. When plasmochemically activated aqueous solutions were used, the extracting capacity was observed to be increasing noticeably by 0.06–0.41%, depending on the  mashing mode. It has been proved that the antiseptic properties of the activated water allow extra disinfection of raw materials. Using activated aqueous solutions reduces pathogen contamination of grain. It has been found that absolute destruction of mould microflora is possible at high concentrations of peroxides in the solutions. The paper highlights the operational parameters that can be used during industrial processing of malt, and gives recommendations for the use of plasmochemically activated aqueous solutions in barley malt processing.