Apple juice preservation through microbial adsorption by nano/micro-tubular cellulose

Conventional thermal pasteurization treatments are applied industrially for microbial stabilization of foods but significantly affect the organoleptic characteristics of the products. This study evaluated a novel non-thermal preservation method of contaminated apple juice that meets the consumer's demand for less processed products with high nutritional value. Commercial apple juice was contaminated with S. cerevisiae or L. plantarum cells and then was continuously pumped through tubular cellulose. The increased size of the filter leads to improved microbial removal yields. Despite the decrease of volatile compounds and colour at the start up of the process and after each filter regeneration with hot water, almost initial parameter values were achieved as the process evolved. The proposed technology can be a promising alternative of industrial pasteurization techniques for food applications.