• Thematic area:
• Harvest, postharvest and processing management
• Geographic coverage:

• Andean region

Descrition

The hypobaric process developed between AGROSAVIA and CIRAD allows obtaining quality fruit puree or pulp in a single step. The process consists of blanching the entire fruit and subjecting it to a vacuum (between 5 to 25 KPa) almost instantaneously, which causes the explosion of the hydrated parts, such as the pulp, while the peel and seed remain intact. In the explosion process caused by the instantaneous release of water vapor from the tissues, the puree or pulp obtained is cooled, generating pasteurized fruit purees of very high microbiological quality without affecting their sensory profile and bioactive compounds.

The pulp, peel, and seed are separated with the help of a pulper in the vacuum chamber. The technology is coupled to a semi-manual aseptic packaging system, which guarantees the safety of the packaged products.

The process has the enormous advantage of being the only "high temperature-short time" (or HTST) type for small-scale production. The tests show no losses in anthocyanins and vitamin C; these two indicators are generally used to measure the impact of thermal processes.

Other benefits from the implementation of this technology are:

• Access to specialized markets for value addition (fruit processing).
• Obtain a product that satisfies microbiological quality, safety, sensory, nutritional, and functional requirements in line with the trend of functional and healthy foods.
• Reduce microorganism load (aerobic mesophiles, coliforms, molds, and yeasts) in fresh fruit by more than 6 log CFU/g.
• Obtain high-quality pasteurized pulps and purees from fruit adaptable to small and medium scale.
• Reduce expenses associated with using additives (100 %) in the final product and reduce by approximately 80 % the energy consumption (electricity, gas, and vapor) in the process.
• Preserve the qualities of the raw material (sensory attributes, vitamins, and bioactive compounds).
• With the products obtained and their potential derivatives, the health of final consumers can be positively impacted (higher fiber content, high content of antioxidant compounds, and vitamins).
• The waste can be used to extract value-added compounds for industry or energy generation, which can be used in certain circumstances for steam production, among other uses.

This technology is recommended for use in the departments of Antioquia, Nariño, Valle del Cauca, Cundinamarca, and Boyacá.

Note:

1. Tests have been done on blackberries, gulupa (passion fruit), uchuva (Cape gooseberry), orange, pineapple, and avocado.

2. This technological offer is available through a specialized service in the Corporation.

Associated publications

• Brochure: Flash - explosión: una tecnología innovadora para la obtención de puré de fruta de alta calidad.
• Poster: Determinación de los parámetros de proceso y caracterización del puré de gulupa (Passiflora edulis Sims) obtenida por la tecnología flash explosion. 

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Place of interest