Pulsed electric field and combination processing of mango nectar: effect on volatile compounds and HMF formation

Mango nectar is a commercially familiar and preferred product. The traditional processing of mango nectar has been by thermal processing which resulted in the alteration of the flavour of the product due to the effect of high temperature. The thermal processing of the nectar also resulted in the production of byproducts of non-enzymatic browning such as 5- hydroxy methyl furfural (HMF). These process induced effects, affect both the nutritive and sensory attributes of the fruit product, making it less preferable. With the growing interest and awareness about the benefits of alternative non-thermal technologies, such as pulsed electric field (PEF), the present work was proposed to use PEF to minimize the loss of volatiles and formation of HMF. The study involves thermal (96 ºC for 300 s and 600 s), PEF (24 µs, 120 Hz and 38 kV/cm) and combination processing (PEF + Thermal (96 ºC for 90 s)) of mango nectar. The effect of these treatments on the volatile composition of mango nectar has been analysed using GC-MS technique. The reduction in the volatile compounds was significant (p < 0.05) in the samples treated by thermal and combination processing. The HPLC determination of HMF was observed to increase with storage and also with thermal treatment. Overall, the study showed that PEF treatment had less negative effect on the retention of volatile compounds and also the HMF concentration was on the lower side compared to the other treated samples and was insignificantly (p > 0.05) different from unprocessed sample, proving the fresh-like character of the product.