Pulsed light treatment of table grape juice: Influence of matrix pH on microbial and enzyme inactivation kinetics

The influence of pulsed light (PL) treatment and matrix pH was tested in the case of green table grape juice. Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were inoculated into the table grape juices with matrix pH levels of 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0. Further, the juice was treated at 378–3186 J/cm2. The Weibull model better explained the microbial inactivation data. The shape parameters (β) from the Weibull model for E. coli, L. monocytogenes, and S. cerevisiae are 0.95 ± 0.02, 0.55 ± 0.04, and 0.40 ± 0.03, respectively. A lesser δ-value (scale parameter in J/cm2) was obtained for each microorganism at a lower pH. PL exposure resulted in a lack of cell visibility, cell wall, and cell membrane disruption in bacterial cells. The inactivation of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and pectin methyl esterase (PME) was studied at an elevated fluence level of 1152–3186 J/cm2. Enzymes in the juice were less sensitive to PL than microorganisms. The enzyme inactivation of >90% was achieved at 3186 J/cm2; thus, the juice was adjudged as the microbially safe and enzymatically stable pasteurized sample. The PL-induced enzyme inactivation followed nth-order kinetics with an inactivation order (n) of 1.1, 1.15, and 0.85 for PPO, POD, and PME, respectively. The enzyme inactivation rate was higher at a low pH. The PL-treated pasteurized juice at pH 3.5 showed the highest sensory acceptance (7.4 out of 9), with a minimal color change, a 7% loss in total phenolics, and a 12% loss in vitamin C and flavonoids. [Display omitted] •After pulsed light (PL) treatment, a higher microbial and enzyme inactivation was obtained at pH 3.0.•Weibull model fits better to describe the PL inactivation of inoculated microorganisms.•PL disrupts the cell wall of microorganisms and destroys phospholipids in the cell membrane.•Spoilage enzymes are more resistant to PL than microorganisms in the juice.•PL (3186 J/cm2) treatment achieved microbial & enzymatic stability in the juice.