High Pressure Processing (HPP) Improved the Safety and Quality of Aronia Berry Puree: Validated by a Commercially Applicable Shelf Life Study

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effects of high pressure processing (HPP) on the shelf life of aronia berry puree in a commercially applicable model. The effects of HPP on microbial (aerobic plate counts, yeasts, molds), physicochemical (color, °Brix, pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities), and nutritional (total phenolic content (TPC), phenolic profile, antioxidant activity) properties of the puree were thoroughly evaluated over 20 weeks, by comparing with conventional thermal treatment (TT). Results showed that HPP and TT were equally effective in extending the shelf life of puree to 16 weeks under refrigerated conditions. HPP generally retained better color and more phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities in samples than TT. Additionally, HPP caused less loss of POD but reduced more PPO than TT. So, on maintaining the safety and quality of aronia puree, HPP was superior to TT. This study provided commercially applicable knowledge for developing HPP aronia puree product.