Effect of cross-flow microfiltration on physico-chemical quality of clarified pineapple juice

Costa Rica is a large producer of tropical fruits. At the present time, it is the major exporter worldwide of fresh pineapple. This success is due, in part, to one variety of pineapple - the MD-2TM or Golden TM - which was introduced in the country in 1995. Also, the use of the rejected fruit from the agriculture export business is becoming a new alternative for the Costa Rican food industry. There is a growing demand from the consumers for natural products - products without additives - as well as an increasing trend towards clarified exotic fruit juice consumption. These facts provide a great opportunity for the application of membrane technology. In this study, we present the use of cross-flow microfiltration to obtain clarified pineapple (MD-2TM) juice. The assays were carried out at a semi-industrial scale, with a pilot equipment at 30°C using a tubular alumina membrane with an average pore diameter of 0.2 gm. All samples were enzymatically pretreated. The processes were run at 200 kPa (transmembrane pressure) and the parameters analyzed were acidity, pH, turbidity, soluble solids, % ascorbic acid and % total carotenoids. Finally, the effect of clarification on the profile of volatile components was analyzed by Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The GoldenTM variety of pineapple presents higher sugar and vitamin C contents, as well as a lower acidity when compared to other varieties. The cross-flow microfiltration allowed to maintain the physico-chemical characteristics in the clarified pineapple juice, except for carotenoids, due to the fact that these pigments were retained by the ceramic membrane. The permeate fluxes (approximately 75 L. h-1. m-2) and the process' yield when considering the clarified juice obtained (85%), are compatible with a possible industrial application.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Pérez-Carvajal, Ana Mercedes, Badilla, M., Moler, J., Vaillant, Fabrice, Perez, A.L., Hernandez, Lorena
Format:	conference_item biblioteca
Language:	eng
Published:	CEMAGREF
Subjects:	Q02 - Traitement et conservation des produits alimentaires, jus d'ananas, traitement, microfiltration, membrane, qualité, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_25496, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6195, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_27575, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_28457, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6400,
Online Access:	http://agritrop.cirad.fr/529821/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/529821/1/document_529821.pdf
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