Coconut Haustoria: Physicochemical Properties and Suitability of Pre-Ozonated Water and H2O2 as Disinfection Treatments for Producing a Minimally Processed and Refrigerated Product

Abstract

As coconut haustoria are underutilized, their physicochemical properties were determined, and effectiveness of a disinfection treatment for producing a minimally processed and refrigerated (MPR) product was assessed. Weight of 187 ± 49 g, circumference, longitudinal and transverse diameters of 26.1 ± 1.6, 9.4 ± 0.6 and 8.1 ± 0.3 cm, outer and inner firmness of 1.88 ± 0.25 and 0.92 ± 0.13 kg.cm-2, and total soluble solids (TSS), pH and titratable acidity of 7.80 ± 1.39%, 0.04 ± 0.01% and 4.44 ± 0.22, respectively, were evident. Proximate analyses revealed moisture (85.97 ± 0.92%), crude fat, (18.53 ± 2.96%), crude fiber (3.75 ± 1.07%), crude protein (2.18 ± 0.23%), total ash (7.71 ± 0.22%) and carbohydrate (67.83 ± 4.48%) contents (DW). The slices (cultivar CRIC 60) were dipped (2-min) in water (control), and 5% H2O2 (HPS) and citric acid (1 g/L-1) and 5% H2O2 (CA&HPS). The treated slices packaged in polypropylene trays (covered with polyvinylidene chloride films) and stored for 14 days (4 ± 1◦C and 48 ± 17% RH) were evaluated based on TSS, pH and total plate counts (TPC). TSS and pH were not significantly different (P > 0.05), and TPC was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the control than that in HPS and CAS&HPS. The slices dipped (2-min) in 5% HPS (control), and in pre-ozonated water (100 and 200 mg/L-1 of ozone) for10- min, were packaged, stored (14 days) and evaluated as before. TSS and pH were not significantly different (P > 0.05), and TPC was significantly higher in the control than those treated with pre-ozonated water. Dipping in 200 mg/L-1 of ozone was significantly (P < 0.05) better than that in 100 mg/L-1, as revealed by TPC. Therefore, treating the slices with pre-ozonated water containing 200 mg/L-1 of ozone can be recommended as a disinfection treatment, instead of H2O2, for producing MPR coconut haustoria.