School of Food Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, U.S.A.
Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, U.S.A.
J Food Sci. 2020 Sep;85(9):2711-2719. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.15384. Epub 2020 Aug 14.
Companies producing ready-to-eat (RTE) meals are looking for processing alternatives that allow them to gain presence in the supermarket chill section. Microwave-assisted pasteurization systems (MAPS) offer the potential to produce safe, high-quality foods. This research examined sensory, physical, chemical, and microbial changes in fried rice processed with MAPS and stored at 7 °C over a 6-week storage period. Additional fried rice samples (cooked but not MAPS-processed) were stored at -31 °C and were used as the control. Randomly selected trays of each type of rice were analyzed at 1, 4, and 6 weeks of storage. Aroma, appearance, taste/flavor, texture, mouthfeel, and aftertaste were evaluated by a semitrained sensory panel with rate-all-that-apply questions. The type of rice treatment (MAPS or control) significantly influenced sensory attributes (P < 0.05), with firm texture attribute of the egg being more intense in the MAPS-rice compared to the control. In addition, storage time affected the sensory modalities of both rice samples, including aroma, appearance, and taste/flavor (P < 0.05). No spoilage-associated sensory attributes were detected in the MAPS-rice during storage. At each examination point, various physical, chemical, and microbial analyses were conducted for the MAPS- and control rice. From the physical and chemical perspective, the MAPS-rice did not present relevant changes over the period tested. Microbial growth was the main cause of spoilage of the MAPS-rice; however, MAPS was able to extend the regular 5-day shelf life of a chilled fried rice meal to 6 weeks, demonstrating the potential of this technology for the RTE industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The findings of this study indicate that, by applying microwave technology to RTE fried rice, the shelf life can be extended from 5 to 7 days up to 42 days (6 weeks) when stored at 7 °C. This temperature closely mimics that of consumers' refrigerators in the United States. This study also shows the potential of working with a semitrained panel and RATA questions when characterizing sensory changes during storage.
即食（RTE）餐食生产企业正在寻求加工替代方案，以期打入超市冷藏区。微波辅助巴氏杀菌系统（MAPS）具有生产安全、高质量食品的潜力。本研究检测了经 MAPS 处理并在 7°C 下储存 6 周的炒饭的感官、物理、化学和微生物变化。额外的炒饭样品（煮熟但未经 MAPS 处理）储存在-31°C 下作为对照。随机选择每种类型的米饭托盘，在储存的第 1、4 和 6 周进行分析。半训练有素的感官小组使用全选评估法评估香气、外观、味道/风味、质地、口感和余味。米饭处理类型（MAPS 或对照）对感官属性有显著影响（P<0.05），与对照相比，MAPS 米饭中的鸡蛋质地更紧实。此外，储存时间影响了两种米饭样本的感官模式，包括香气、外观和味道/风味（P<0.05）。在储存过程中，MAPS 米饭中未检测到与变质相关的感官属性。在每个检查点，对 MAPS 米饭和对照米饭进行了各种物理、化学和微生物分析。从物理和化学角度来看，MAPS 米饭在测试期间没有出现明显变化。微生物生长是导致 MAPS 米饭变质的主要原因；然而，MAPS 能够将冷藏炒饭的常规 5 天保质期延长至 6 周，证明了该技术在 RTE 行业的潜力。实际应用：本研究结果表明，通过将微波技术应用于 RTE 炒饭，可将保质期从 5 天延长至 7 天，在 7°C 下储存时可延长至 42 天（6 周）。这个温度与美国消费者冰箱的温度非常相似。本研究还展示了在储存过程中使用半训练小组和 RATA 问题来描述感官变化的潜力。
