Recent development in the application of alternative sterilization technologies to prepared dishes: A review

ABSTRACT

Sterilization is one of the most effective food preservation methods. Conventional thermal sterilization commonly used in food industry usually causes the deterioration of food quality. Flavor, aroma, and texture, among other attributes, are significantly affected by thermal sterilization. However, demands of consumers for nutritious and safe dishes with a minimum change in their original textural and sensory properties are growing rapidly. In order to meet these demands, new approaches have been explored in the last few years to extend the shelf-life of dishes. This review discusses advantages and disadvantages of currently available physical sterilization technologies, including irradiation (eg. Gamma rays, X-rays, e-beams), microwave and radio frequency when used in prepared dishes. The preservation effect of these technologies on prepared dishes are normally evaluated by microbiological and sensory analyses.

KEYWORDS:

• Physical sterilization
• prepared dishes
• application

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support from China Key Research Programs (Contract No. 2017YFD0400901 and No. 2017YFD0400501) and Jiangsu Province (China) Infrastructure Project (Contract No. BM2014051), all of which enabled us to carry out this study.

Additional information

Funding

China Key Research Program