Is overnight fresh juice drinkable? The shelf life prediction of non-industrial fresh watermelon juice based on the nutritional quality, microbial safety quality, and sensory quality.

Tingting Ma,Jiaqi Wang,Haoli Wang,Qian Ge,Xiangyu Sun,Yuan Zhou,Tian Gao,Yulin Fang,Tian Lan,Wanyi Yang,Ruihao Liu

doi:10.29219/fnr.v64.4327

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to obtain the time range of non-industrial fresh watermelon juice (FWJ), which is widely used in the catering industry under different storage conditions, with safe-drinkable quality, and the drinking time range of fresh juice with good nutritional quality and sensory quality.MethodThe quality of non-industrial FWJ was audited by assessing the shelf life of non-industrial FWJ through microbial safety, nutritional, and sensory quality investigating during 24 h of storage at 4, 25, and 37°C.ResultsAccording to the microbial safety quality, the safe drinking time of FWJ was within 12, 4, and 4 h when stored at 4, 25, and 37°C, respectively. Based on the nutritional and sensory quality, FWJ was drinking with good quality within 2 h, and with just acceptable quality for no more than 4 h when stored at 4 or 25°C. Electronic nose and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) could effectively distinguish and identify the changes in volatile components in FWJ under different storage conditions.ConclusionIt is a feasible method to predict the shelf life of non-industrial FWJ by this method, and hence to guarantee non-industrial FWJ being drinking with safety and health, and it might be used in many other fresh juice shelf life predictions.

Highlights

The increase in storage time and storage temperature led to a significant reduction in ascorbic acid content in fresh watermelon juice (FWJ), especially for juices stored at 37°C which showed a more pronounced downward trend in comparison with 4 and 25°C (P
Non-industrial FWJ stored at 25°C for less than 2 h demonstrated the best odor characteristics, which were closest to the control group
Based on the results of nutritional and sensory quality, a conclusion could be drawn that the drinking time range of nonindustrial FWJ with good quality was within 2 h when stored at 4 or 25°C, and the nonindustrial FWJ still had acceptable nutritional and sensory quality when stored at 4 or 25°C for no more than 4 h

Summary

Introduction

The dynamic changes in sensory, nutritional, and functional indicators of the juice under different storage conditions were investigated, to obtain the drinking time range of fresh juice with good nutritional quality and sensory quality. The changes in the microbial index and sensory, nutritional, and functional indexes were measured after 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h, and the sensory characteristics of non-industrial FWJ under different storage conditions were measured by an electronic nose and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS).

Results

Conclusion