Comparison of UV-C and thermal treatments for the preservation of carrot juice

•Shelf life (SL) of fresh carrot juice was 4 days.•Pasteurization and UV-C treatments extended its SL by 8 days.•UV-C did not downgrade physicochemical and sensory attributes.•UV-C is proposed as an innovative method for shelf life stability of carrot juice.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of UV-C and thermal treatments on the shelf life of carrot juice. Carrot juice samples were exposed to UV-C radiation and thermal treatment. After the treatments, all carrot juice samples were stored at 4 °C for 16 days. Parameters taken into account were: physicochemical [colour values (L*, a*, and b*) and browning index, viscosity, optical density, density, pH, turbidity], microbiological [total plate count mesophilic, total plate count psychrotrophic, lactic acid bacteria Enterobacteriaceae and yeast and moulds) and sensory attributes. Results showed that the shelf life of carrot juice samples was 4 days for the fresh (control samples) and increased to 12 days for the thermally and UV-Ctreated, respectively. In addition, no significant changes occurred in the investigated physicochemical parameters, while sensory characteristics were not downgraded by UV-C treatment. Present results obtained, support the use of UV-C technology for improving shelf life stability of carrot juice.

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