Effect of Ohmic Heating on Sensory, Physicochemical, and Microbiological Properties of “Aguamiel” of Agave salmiana

Abstract

The use of ohmic heating (OH) processing technologies in beverages might provide a higher quality value to the final product; consumers tended to prefer more natural products with minimum preservative substances. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of OH over the presence of microorganisms in “aguamiel” as well as to study the effects on physicochemical analysis like total sugars, soluble solids, electric conductivity pH, and color. The results showed that the conductivity of “aguamiel” was 0.374 s/m, this as temperature increased, conductivity rose as well. During OH a bubbling was observed when reaching 70 °C due to the generation of electrochemical reactions during the OH process. OH had a significant effect in the reduction of E. coli, yeast, and lactobacillus compared to conventional pasteurization, reaching optimal conditions for its total inactivation. Regarding its physicochemical properties, both treatments, conventional pasteurization and OH, did not show negative changes in aguamiel, demonstrating that OH technology can be a feasible option as a pasteurization technique. In conclusion it is important to notice that negative changes were not found in quality, color and sugars of “aguamiel”. Therefore, ohmic heating can be an option to replace traditional methods used for pasteurization.

Thermal treatment alternatives for enzymes inactivation in fruit juices: Recent breakthroughs and advancements

“…The OH processing consists in the passing of an alternating current through liquids and food substances. It presents an advantage over the traditional thermal processes, being able to extend the shelf life of pomegranate, melon, apple, and orange juices [55] . This NTT works faster with 4.6 to 5.3 times lower energy consumption than that of the conventional heating [55] .…”

“…It presents an advantage over the traditional thermal processes, being able to extend the shelf life of pomegranate, melon, apple, and orange juices [55] . This NTT works faster with 4.6 to 5.3 times lower energy consumption than that of the conventional heating [55] . Furthermore, OH processing has revolutionized the FJs industry for its effect on FJs bioactive components, sensory properties, enzyme and microbial deactivation, and loss of the physicochemical attributes [56] .…”

“…The distances among the electrodes are so adjusted, to generate the optimum electric field [61] . The heat generation and the overall enzymes inactivation mechanism are strongly affected by the electrical field strength and the residence time [55] . A greater production of grape juice up to 50–70% was noted with ohmically heated grape mash than conventionally heated one.…”

Recent developments in ohmic technology for clean label fruit and vegetable processing: An overview

“…Moreover, electroporation caused by OH cooking involved softening of turnips, kohlrabi, radishes, and potato (Farahnaky et al, 2018). Furthermore, Rascón et al (2020) did not notice negative changes in quality, color, and sugars of OH‐treated aguamiel. A summary of OH applications in different areas of fruit and vegetables is shown in Tables 1 and 2.…”

Ohmic Heating Technology for Food Applications, From Ohmic Systems to Moderate Electric Fields and Pulsed Electric Fields

“…That is, increasing the electric field will lead to huge temperature increases [16,39]. Rascón et al [40] applied OH to Agave salmiana samples at different electric fields (20,30, and 40 V/cm), and the processing time to reach 90 °C was 250, 96, and 70 s, respectively. Therefore, the heating rate increased 1.37 and 3.57-fold when applying 30 and 40 V/cm compared to 20 V/cm.…”