Minimal Processing Methods Research Articles

Minimalno prerađen paradajz pomoću jednostavno razvijenog uređaja za filtraciju - obična so i biljno ulje mogu očuvati koncentrat paradajza

In attempt to produce and preserve tomato concentrate, without destroying some useful nutrients, in a rural area where there is no electricity, a minimal processing method is necessary. In this study, a simple filtration unit was developed. Fresh tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) (3.50 kg) were bought, cleaned and blended. Initial moisture content (MC) of the slurry (3.0 g) was determined and 3.0 kg slurry filtered. The amounts of concentrate, filtrate and filtration period were noted. Initial MC of the concentrate was also found. A mixture of concentrate (200 g), vegetable oil (30 ml) and salt (12.0 g) was prepared for preservation as sample A. This was re-prepared but with 10.0 and 8.0 g of salt as samples B and C. pH, colour and lycopene content of the test samples were found before and during preservation at a week-interval for 2 months in duplicates. The results showed that the initial MC of the fresh tomato / slurry and concentrate were 93.5 and 73.3%, respectively. Test sample pH before preservation was 4.22. Sample A recorded 18.79% decrease in pH while B and C had 9.2% and 54% increase in pH, respectively. Visual observation after 8th week of preservation showed that the tomato concentrate was still reddish but colour change (∆E) from the colorimeter revealed that sample A had the least value of 6.09 while B and C were 7.31 and 8.53, respectively. Initial lycopene concentration was 14.11 mg /100 g product. After preservation, Sample A had the least decrease (19.63%) compared to sample B (29.91% decrease) and sample C (33.3% decrease). Hence, common salt (12.0 g) and vegetable oil (30 ml) were able to maintain the acid content and minimize the reduction in lycopene content in the tomato concentrate.

Immunomodulatory effect of metabolites from digested and fermented fractions from irradiated pineapple (Annanas comosus L.) snack-bars

Phenolic compounds (PC), can modulate the immune response. UV-C irradiation, commonly used as a minimal processing method in fresh-foods to reduce the microbial load, increase shelf-life, provide a minimal processing and facilitate the release of PC. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of intestinal (IF) and fermented (FF) fractions of non-irradiated (NIPB) and irradiated (IPB) pineapple snack-bars on the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin 6 (IL-6), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in mice macrophages. IF of NIPB and IPB exerted an immunomodulatory effect by promoting the production of NO (26 pg/mL) in both treatments, COX-2 (438 and 399 pg/mL), and TNF-α (778 and 802 pg/mL) for NIPB and IPB respectively. The TNF-α increased in IF of NIPB and IPB approximately 371 %, and in FF, only increased 132 %. The NO production was not different between IF and FF. COX-2 production was higher in FF.

Effect of Minimal Processing on Physicochemical Properties of Pineapple Variety Mauritius (<i>Ananas cosmosus</i>)

Pineapple is considered as one of the most wanted fruit crop grown in the tropical and subtropical areas. Many varieties of pineapple are cultivated in the world. Mauritius variety is one of the important fruit crops of pineapple. The Vazhakulam area in Ernakulam district of Kerala state has more concentrated in pineapple cultivation. The present study aimed to determine the physical properties of Vazhakkulam pineapple (Mauritius grade) before and after minimal processing. The present study revealed that the fresh pineapple comprises of TSS (12.20 Brix), acidity (0.64%), firmness (12 Kg/cm2 ), sweetness index (19.06), ascorbic acid (48.48 mg), reducing sugar (4.014%), total sugar (26.26%), non-reducing sugar (21.13%) and the fresh fruit was acidic. The total weight of fruit was 702 g and the percentage recovery of edible fruit was 62.5%. Physio-chemical properties of the fruit were changed based on the minimal processing method used.

Impact of processing on the functionalization of pumpkin pomace as a food texturizing ingredient

In the context of side-stream valorization, this study aimed to gain insight into the functionalization of industrially-generated pumpkin pomace as texturizing ingredient. Given the matrix complexity of pumpkin pomace, composed of crushed peels, seeds and mesocarp, this study focused on the impact of different sample preparation, as well as mechanical processing, on the microstructural and rheological properties of pumpkin pomace suspensions. Pumpkin pomace suspensions (4% w/w) possessed a solid-like behavior, demonstrating the potential for structure build-up. The application of heat during sample preparation (85°C, 30 min) significantly increased the storage modulus of the pumpkin pomace-derived suspensions, which was found to be related to an increased swelling volume of the suspended particles. Moreover, a combination of partial pectin removal and high pressure homogenization at 80 MPa led to improved network structure formation, as obvious from an increased storage modulus. These results are highly useful as scientific basis for exploring the texturizing potential of pumpkin pomace with minimal processing or conventional preparation methods (e.g. by heat treatment).

CAP-MAP: cap analysis protocol with minimal analyte processing, a rapid and sensitive approach to analysing mRNA cap structures.

Eukaryotic messenger RNA (mRNA) is modified by the addition of an inverted guanosine cap to the 5′ triphosphate. The cap guanosine and initial transcribed nucleotides are further methylated by a series of cap methyltransferases to generate the mature cap structures which protect RNA from degradation and recruit proteins involved in RNA processing and translation. Research demonstrating that the cap methyltransferases are regulated has generated interest in determining the methylation status of the mRNA cap structures present in cells. Here, we present CAP-MAP: cap analysis protocol with minimal analyte processing, a rapid and sensitive method for detecting cap structures present in mRNA isolated from tissues or cultured cells.

Improvement of color, texture and food safety of ready-to-eat high pressure-heat treated duck breast.

Since high-temperature cooking (>95 °C) deteriorates duck meat quality, a lower temperature (70 °C) with high-pressure (400 MPa) were investigated. Duck breast was subjected to salting/pickling treatment prior to heating-alone (70 °C) or HPP with heating (P + H) for 10 or 20 min. These were compared with a Cooked-control (80 °C at 0.1 MPa). Compared with Control, the P + H method resulted in improved meat color (p < 0.05). Low-field NMR indicated that P + H contributed to protonation due to inward shift of proton equilibrium. Moreover, P + H significantly decreased MDA equivalents (TBARS) and carbonyl contents, but increased sulfhydryl contents. The protonation under P + H produced an antioxidant-like effect due to strengthening of H-bonds and recycling of thiols. PCA revealed that changes in proton relaxation of P + H samples affected extents of lipid and protein oxidation, hence influenced product color and texture. This P + H method exhibited potential as a minimal thermal processing method for duck meat, with enhanced product quality and safety.

Osmotic dehydration of berries: study of mass transfer parameters

Osmotic dehydration, due to its advantages related to energy and quality, is gaining popularity as an additional stage of processing in the chain of complex processing of products. As a rule, osmotic dehydration is a slow process, so there is a need for additional methods to increase mass transfer without adversely affecting the quality of the product. This has provided the necessary motivation for many recent achievements in the field. Minimal processing methods, such as osmodehydration, find a significant place in the processing industry to increase the shelf life of fruit and berry raw materials. The overall efficiency of the process is determined by the process parameters affecting the phenomenon of mass transfer. Therefore, in this work the parameters of mass transfer in osmotic dehydration of berry raw materials: strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, BlackBerry are studied. The process of mass transfer has been modeled effectively, as evidenced by the results obtained. Berries, previously dehydrated at 70°Brix solution of sucrose, have the cryoscopy temperature lower (-1.7°C)–(-4.8°C), dehydrated at 60°Brix solution of sucrose from (-1.1°C) to (-2,6°C).The number of crystallized water in berries, dehydrated in 60°Brix solution of sucrose made up from 8.6–10.1 %, and in 70°Brix solution from a 13.9–12.9 %.The amount of frozen water in berries, dehydrated 70 ° Brix sucrose solution from 7.5–40.4%, dehydrated 60°Brix sucrose solution from 2.3–10.1%. Reducing the activity of water in berries treated with 70°Brix solution was 2.8–0.8 %, 60°Brix sucrose solution from 1.4–0.3%. The obtained data show that due to osmotic dehydration of berries with a solution of sucrose, followed by freezing, the activity of water decreases, which allows extending the shelf life and limits the access of microorganisms to growth in the environment.

Modelling the microbial dynamics and antimicrobial resistance development of Listeria in viscoelastic food model systems of various structural complexities

Minimal processing for microbial decontamination, such as the use of natural antimicrobials, is gaining interest in the food industry as these methods are generally milder than conventional processing, therefore better maintaining the nutritional content and sensory characteristics of food products.The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of (i) structural composition and complexity, (ii) growth location and morphology, and (iii) the natural antimicrobial nisin, on the microbial dynamics of Listeria innocua.More specifically, viscoelastic food model systems of various compositions and internal structure were developed and characterised, i.e. monophasic Xanthan gum-based and biphasic Xanthan gum/Whey protein-based viscoelastic systems. The microbial dynamics of L. innocua at 10 °C, 30 °C and 37 °C were monitored and compared for planktonic growth in liquid, or in/on (immersed or surface colony growth) the developed viscoelastic systems, with or without a sublethal concentration of nisin. Microscopy imaging was used to determine the bacterial colony size and spatial organisation in/on the viscoelastic systems.Selective growth of L. innocua on the protein phase of the developed biphasic system was observed for the first time. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the colony size and distribution in the monophasic Xanthan gum-based systems depending on (i) the type of growth (surface/immersed) and (ii) the Xanthan gum concentration. Furthermore, the system viscosity in monophasic Xanthan gum-based systems had a protective role against the effects of nisin for immersed growth, and a further inhibitory effect for surface growth at a suboptimal temperature (10 °C).These findings give a systematic quantitative insight on the impact of nisin as an environmental challenge on the growth and spatial organisation of L. innocua, in viscoelastic food model systems of various structural compositions/complexities. This study highlights the importance of accounting for system structural composition/complexity when designing minimal food processing methods with natural antimicrobials.

Effects of Minimal Processing Technologies on Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) Quality Parameters

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is a tropical fruit with high nutritional value and reported health benefits, but its commercialization is hindered by its mass (> 10 kg) and difficulty to peel. Jackfruit bulbs (JFBs) are often sold fresh, washed only with water and packaged in polypropylene containers, which minimizes their shelf life and makes it necessary to consume them shortly after purchase. Minimally processed products (MPPs) are ready-to-eat fresh-cut products, and the technologies used to produce them to allow better utilizing fruits, extending their shelf life and freshness as much as possible. This review describes reported advantages and limitations that minimal processing methods exert on JFBs. These methods include low temperatures, anti-browning agents, anti-respiratory substances, texturizing agents, controlled atmospheres, edible coatings, osmotic agents, preservatives, and UV treatments among others. Their effects on physiological and physicochemical parameters, as well as effects on shelf life and sensory attributes are also discussed. Evidence shows that minimal processing techniques are a viable option that can be used on JFBs, which preserve quality and sensory attributes by reducing metabolic reactions like respiration rate (RR) and ethylene production. Shelf life can be extended up to 50 days without changes in sensory attributes, and higher retention of bioactive compounds in comparison with untreated JFBs, but results vary with each specific treatment. Minimal processing technologies are a rapid, efficient, and reliable alternative that retain quality and extend the shelf life of fresh JFBs. With further improvements in preservation and standardization, the commercialization of jackfruit could be brought to bear.

Preservation Methods Impacted Phenolic, Flavonoid and Carotenoid Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Carrots (D aucus carota L.)

Minimal processing methods could result in a very short product shelf life due to microbial and quality deteriorations. This study was undertaken to investigate the influence of blanching, freezing, dehydration and canning on the phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid contents and antioxidant activities of carrots during storage. Carrot blanching resulted in a significant improvement in the phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid contents and a reduction in DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydazyl) inhibition activity compared with fresh carrot. Flavonoid and carotenoid contents of blanched carrot, e.g., were significantly (P < 0.05) increased from 0.029 in fresh samples to 0.038 (μg/g) and from 148.2 to 275.6 (μg/g), respectively. Phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid content retention decreased from 70.8, 51.7 and 47.9% during the first month of storage to 57.3, 41.4 and 11.8% during the third month of storage. Carrot blanching resulted in a significant increase in the retention of phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid contents from 100% to 113.5, 131.0 and 186.0%, respectively. Practical Applications Minimally processed carrots have gained interests for their nutritional value and sensory attributes. However, due to the limited shelf life of these processed products, various heat treatments are in practice. Contradictory information on the effect of various processing on the phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid contents and antioxidant activities of carrots during storage are currently available in the literature. With the increasing consumer demand for minimal processed food, results would provide essential information for consumer selection of processed carrots.

Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Beams with Recycled Concrete Coarse Aggregates

This paper investigates the flexural and shear behavior of reinforced concrete beams that use recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) as replacement for coarse natural aggregates (e.g., crushed stone, gravel). The experimental results from 12 twin pairs of normal strength concrete beam specimens are presented and compared with predictions from existing code methods and analytical models for conventional concrete. Each pair of beams is saw-cut from a single, longer member to investigate the inherent variability in the results, specifically focusing on locally available recycled materials with minimal processing and construction methods that are consistent with current U.S. practice. It is found that the use of RCA does not cause an observable change in the progression of nonlinear behavior and failure. The effect of RCA on the flexural and shear strength of the beams is also small; however, there is a considerable reduction in the initial stiffness and an increase in the ultimate flexural deflections as the amount of RCA is increased. In general, the predicted results are reasonably close to the measured trends, indicating that existing analytical models and code-based procedures for conventional concrete can also be applied to RCA concrete beams.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDIGENOUS PROCESSING METHODS OFXYLIA XYLOCARPASEEDS AND THEIR TOTAL FREE PHENOLICS, ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND HEALTH-RELEVANT FUNCTIONALITY

ABSTRACT The methanolic extract of Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) Taub. (Mimosaceae) raw seed materials contained total free phenolic content of 14.35 ± 1.66 g catechin equivalent/100 g extract dry matter. Encouraging levels of ferric reducing/antioxidant power (1,096 mmol Fe[II]/mg extract), inhibition of β-carotene degradation (59.85%) and scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (72.31%) and superoxide (60.31%) radicals were exhibited by the methanolic extract of raw samples. Furthermore, it also recorded 82.23% of α-amylase and 77.28% of α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition characteristics under in vitro starch digestion bioassay. Sprouting + oil frying caused a significant increase in the total free phenolic content and also apparent improvement on the antioxidant and free radical-scavenging activities of X. xylocarpa seeds, while soaking + cooking as well as open-pan roasting treatments showed diminishing effects. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The consumption of processed legume grains would not only provide the necessary nutrients but also act as potential nutraceuticals and improve the human health. In this connection, in the present study, the antioxidant activity and type II diabetes-related functionality of methanolic extract of an underutilized food legume Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) Taub. were analyzed. A positive correlation between phenolic content and antioxidant activity was established through this investigation. Furthermore, a suitable and minimal processing method has been identified to preserve the health beneficial properties of this wild-type legume grain. Thus, the suitably processed X. xylocarpa seeds with favorable antioxidant and type II diabetes-related enzyme inhibition properties could be considered as a potential candidate for the prevention of type II diabetes. The findings of this research work could be more useful in developing/formulating supplementary foods with therapeutic value to alleviate free radical-mediated chronic diseases, including type II diabetes.

Effect of pulsed-vacuum and ohmic heating on the osmodehydration kinetics, physical properties and microstructure of apples (cv. Granny Smith)

Abstract The influence of pulsed vacuum (PVOD) and ohmic heating (OH) on the osmotic dehydration (OD) kinetics and structure of apples was evaluated. Apple cubes (1 cm3) were immersed in a 65 oBrix sucrose solution at 30, 40 and 50 °C for 300 min. The PVOD treatment was conducted at 5 kPa for 5 min, and the OH treatment was conducted at 100 V (electric field of 13 V/cm). The water loss, solid gain, aw, color and firmness were measured, and the microstructure was analyzed using electronic microscopy. The largest water loss was observed with the OD/OH treatment at 50 °C. The greatest amount of solute uptake and smallest firmness loss were obtained with the PVOD/OH treatment at 50 °C. Color differences were associated with the loss of clarity and corresponded to the transparency gain. OH treatments led to changes in the microstructure, cell walls and tissues of the apples due to the electroporation effect, which explained the increase of mass transference. Industrial relevance The aim of this research was to determine the response of apple samples to osmotic dehydration using combined treatments of pulsed vacuum and ohmic heating. Two different technologies, vacuum and ohmic heating at mild temperatures, were used to determine and observe the mass transfer kinetics and microstructure of osmodehydrated apples. In several ohmic heating treatments, the time reduction reached 50% as compared to conventional heating. The increases of temperature, vacuum application and electroporation effect promoted the gain of osmotic solution into the tissue pores, thus reaching equilibrium in the sample with less water loss. Among the investigated conditions, the PVOD/OH treatment at mild temperatures was the best minimal processing method to preserve the fresh-like properties of the apples.

Physical–chemical and sensory properties of pulsed electric field and high hydrostatic pressure treated citrus juices

Abstract The consumers have increasing desire towards fresh, long shelf-life and healthy products by consisting favourable sensory properties. As an ambivalent fact appears that the product should meet all these requirements and should be consumable long time. All these demands lead to the importance of the minimal processing methods. The properties of widely common citrus juices (100% orange, – grapefruit, – and tangerine juice) were analyzed by measuring the possible changes in the physical–chemical parameters (pH, Brix°, electric conductivity, colour) respectively the aroma and acid content. The applied technology was pulsed electric field (in furthers: PEF) treatment with the parameters of 28 kV/cm with 50 pulses; respectively high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) technology with the parameter of 600 MPa pressure for 10 min treatment time. The sensory properties of the juices were analyzed with electronic-nose and -tongue to measure the possible changes of the treated juices compared to the untreated (control) samples with the help of these electronic tools, which can serve as a potential detection system for the differentiation of the treatments mentioned above. Industrial relevance Fruit juices are preserved mainly by heat treatment which can change many prosperous flavour- , acid and sensory properties. The present work shows in case of citrus juices the application of pulsed electric field treatment and high hydrostatic pressure techniques as non-thermal preservation possibilities and the use of electronic tongue and – nose as a new method for sensory testing.

Modeling and Optimization of Mass Transfer during Osmosis Dehydration of Carrot Slices by Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms

Osmotic dehydration, as a minimal processing method, has found increasingly wide prospects during the past few decades. This process involves mass transfer which is commonly modeled by applications of different procedures, mostly based on Fick's law. In this research, we approach the modeling process by first obtaining experimental measurement of carrot’s solid gain and water loss under different conditions of solution concentrations ( 20, 40 and 60% w/w), temperatures ( 40, 60 and 80°C) as well as time intervals (1-6h). Then two paradigms of artificial neural networks (ANN), feed forward neural networks (FFNN) and radial basis function neural networks (RBFNN) are applied and compared for modeling this process. Additionally, genetic algorithm is used to determine optimal conditions for osmotic dehydration.

Desenvolvimento de uma salada de frutas: da pesquisa de mercado à tecnologia de alimentos

Understanding the customers' needs and the use of food technology can make an idea become an innovative product. The goals of this study were to investigate, through a market research, the opportunity for a new product, and, subsequently, prepare an acceptable and fresh ready-to-eat fruit salad using minimal processing and combined methods. The market research was carried out in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte - MG, Brazil to study the potential market and to assess the market opportunities for a packed, ready-to eat fruit salad. After the development of the product, three types of fruit salad were prepared and a sensory evaluation was carried out every seven days during 21 days of storage. The market research revealed that the fruit salad, as a potential product, was approved and considered excellent and original. The potential customers claimed that they are open to market novelties and new brands. They established the following as product attributes for purchasing decision in order of priority: price, reference, need, composition and ingredients, and nutritional values. It can be said that all three types of fruit salads prepared were accepted as a result of the sensory analysis of samples stored for up to 21 days.

Evaluation of the operational parameters' effect on mass transfer kinetics during osmosic dehydration of potato slices using sensitivity analysis based on artificial neural networks.

Osmotic dehydration, as a minimal processing method, has found increasingly wide prospects during the past few decades. This process involves mass transfer which is commonly modeled by applications of different procedures, mostly based on Fick's law. In this research, we approached the modeling process by first obtaining experimental measurement of potato’s solid gain, water loss and moisture content under different conditions of solution concentrations ( 5, 10 and 15% w/w), temperatures (30, 40 and 60oC) , potato to solution ratio (1:6, 1:8 and 1:10) as well as time intervals (1, 2, 3 & 4h). In order to evaluate the effect of changes in operational parameters on mass transfer kinetics, sensitivity analysis was performed. Artificial neural networks (ANN) was applied for modeling. The results exhibited how much powerful the model is in prediction of the system’s outputs, and high sensitiveness of these outputs to the ratio of potato to osmotic solution. Keywords: Potato, Osmotic dehydration, Sensitivity analysis, Artificial neural networks

Impact of edible coating with or without anti-microbial agent on microbial growth during osmotic dehydration and refrigerated storage of a model plant material

Abstract The use of edible coating has proved a valuable tool in improving the efficiency of osmotic dehydration (OD) of plant material. In this study the impact of edible coating with or without an anti-microbial agent (A–M) on microbial growth was investigated. Potato cylinders (15 × 57 mm — D × L ) were used as a model plant material. Calcium alginate (CA) coating was applied with or without incorporation of potassium sorbate (PS), at 0.3% of sample weight (before coating). OD took place for 3 h in stirred jars using sucrose solution at 50 °Brix and 40 °C. Microbial growth (Aerobic Plate Count — APC) was monitored both during OD (3 h) and during refrigerated storage at 5 °C (14 days). During OD, a significant reduction of the initial microbial load (ML) in the control (non-coated) treatment was observed, possibly due to a microbial “wash-out” effect. Both coating treatments resulted in a marginal decrease of initial ML in the OD product, suggesting some kind of protection against this effect. During refrigerated storage, the use of coating resulted in reaching the growth plateau several days earlier, which lead to significant reduction of maximum ML, compared to the control treatment. Besides this benefit, coating with A–M helped extend the lag phase and postpone time to reach maximum load by almost 4 days, compared to the simple coating treatment. These results can support further work on the use of more effective types and concentrations of preferably natural anti-microbials to achieve satisfactory stabilization of osmo-dehydrated/refrigerated products, without a negative impact on their minimal processing profile. Industrial relevance Osmotic dehydration is a very potent processing tool that has been studied extensively in terms of mass transfer phenomena. Yet, microbial studies in this area are rather scarce; thus industrial applications are very difficult to proceed, due to lack of microbial stabilization data. This is especially crucial in the case of combined, minimal processing methods, such as osmotic dehydration and refrigeration. This work is using edible coating (which is known to promote dehydration efficiency) to incorporate a common anti-microbial agent, in an effort to establish an effective series of hurdles leading to microbial stabilization of osmo-dehydrated, refrigerated products.

Development in the Combined Treatment of Coating and Osmotic Dehydration of Food - A Review

Osmotic dehydration is gaining considerable attention as a minimal processing method because of its advantages such as saving energy to compliment drying process, better control of flavor loss and tissue damage problems and improved retention of color and nutritional constituents. The problems of flavor loss, tissue damage, color degradation and nutritional loss are present in traditional hot air drying due to the high temperature involved. However, except for candied food, large penetration of solute into the food becomes a major problem in osmotic dehydration. The application of a coating on food prior to osmotic dehydration is a promising solution to alleviate the large solute intake problem. Edible coatings serve as a barrier to limit the penetration of solute without having an adverse effect on water removal. This paper focuses on this combined technology and its potentials. The effects of edible coatings on both water and solute mass transfer in osmotic dehydration are reviewed. Suitable coating materials and their applicable concentration range for osmotic dehydration of food are evaluated. Mathematical models describing the mass transfer in osmotically dehydrated food with coatings are also reviewed.

Ultraviolet induced stress response in fresh cut cantaloupe

Changes in the composition of volatile compounds in cantaloupe melon ( Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus) as a result of UV induced stress were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Several volatile ester compounds were present, of which twenty-seven were identified in fresh cut cantaloupe. Fruit exposure to UV light decreased the concentrations of most of the aliphatic esters by over 60% of the amounts present in the corresponding fresh cut fruit. Cyclic and acyclic terpenoids, including phytoalexin compounds β-ionone, geranylacetone and terpinyl acetate, were also produced as a result of UV exposure for 15 and 60 min, respectively. β-Ionone, when added to crushed cantaloupe (0.01% w/w) completely inhibited microbial growth in the fruit for 24 h at 20 °C. Geranylacetone and terpinyl acetate reduced the microbial population from 6.3×10 8 in the untreated control to 1.2×10 8 and 3.5×10 7 CFU/g respectively. The results indicate the potential use of UV induced stress for screening cantaloupe melon cultivars for disease resistance, and as a minimal processing method to extend the shelf life of fresh cut cantaloupe products.