Effect of decontamination treatment on the quality of dehydrated thyme, coriander, and mustard

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of different decontamination treatments on the quality of dehydrated thyme, coriander, and mustard. Treatments applied were: (i) ultraviolet radiation treatment irradiation; (ii) steam, (iii) steam–ultraviolet radiation treatment; (iv) humidification–ultraviolet radiation treatment, and (v) steam–humidification–ultraviolet radiation treatment. Their effectiveness to control indigenous aerobic mesophiles and yeasts and molds population was assessed by plate count. The effect of proposed treatments on total polyphenol contents and antioxidant activity was also evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of treatments on spices performance to prevent canola oil oxidation was also analyzed. The use of steam– ultraviolet radiation treatment in aqueous medium was the most effective for decontamination, reducing the aerobic mesophiles and yeasts and molds counts between 1.0 and 2.2 log CFU/g dry spice. This treatment decreased significantly the polyphenol content and the antioxidant capacity of the three spices analyzed. However, in the case of mustard, the residual antioxidant compounds were able to control canola oil oxidation more efficiently than butylated hydroxytoluene. Results suggest that the use of steam–ultraviolet radiation treatment in aqueous medium can be useful in food preservation processes.Fil: Ferriccioni, Natalia. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Mateucci, Ricardo Rafael. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Zangrando, Agustina. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Santana, Susana Noemi. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Campos, Carmen Adriana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Industrias; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Industrias. Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos y Procesos Químicos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos y Procesos Químicos; Argentin