The investigation and optimization of two combined pasteurization methods of ultrasonic‐pulse electric field and hydrodynamic‐pulse electric field on sour cherry juice using RSM‐TOPSIS

Abstract

In this research, sour cherry juice (SCJ) was treated using a combination of the Ultrasound-Pulsed electric field (UP) wave and Hydrodynamic-Pulsed electric field (HP) systems. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the combination of the pulsed electric field, ultrasonic wave, and hydrodynamic as new non-thermal technologies on the inactivation of microorganisms, energy changes in one cycle of E. coli inactivation, and the quality of SCJ. The range of experimental conditions was as follows: electrical field intensity: 5–10 kV/cm, electric field time: 5–35 s, ultrasound power: 100–200 W, ultrasonic exposure time: 3–5 min, and hydrodynamic exposure time: 3–9 min. The results of the treatments indicated that the combination methods maintained the total phenolic content, anthocyanins, and vitamin C compared to the conventional method. By TOPSIS, a comparison between two combination methods showed that the pasteurization with UP performed better than the HP method. Practical applications One of the most effective ways for the utilization of nutritional benefits of fruits is to use their extracts or juices. Also, to kill any harmful bacteria, most juices thermally are pasteurized. Where such treatments often lead to a substantial decrease in their quality (vitamins, phenolics, anthocyanins, etc.). For this goal, researchers are following up on new methods to dispel the adverse effects of thermal pasteurization. The present research aimed to assay the simultaneous effect of the ultrasonic-AC electric field and hydrodynamic-AC electric field to eliminate microorganisms and preserve the quality of SCJ. The current research recommends a novel and combined method for SCJ pasteurization and this method can benefit the food industry.