Thermosonication (TS) and pulsed electric fields (PEF) represent emerging technologies for liquid food preservation.
In the present study shelf life and sensory attributes of orange juice were evaluated following treatment with a combination
of these technologies (TS/PEF). The juice was exposed to batch TS at 55 ◦C for 10 min followed by continuous
PEF at a field strength of 40 kV/cm for 150s. High-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurisation (94 ◦C for 26 s) was
used as a control. Sensory attributes (i.e. colour, odour, sweetness, acidity, flavour and overall acceptability) of different
orange juices processed with TS/PEF or exposed to HTST pasteurisation were evaluated by 37 panellists using a
hedonic scale (1–9 points). All sensory attributes were rated equivalent for TS/PEF- and HTST-treated juice (P≥0.05).
During the shelf life study the effect of TS/PEF on selected physical properties (pH, ◦Brix and conductivity), microbiological
activity and colour stabilitywas monitored directly after processing and following 25 ◦C storage up to 168 days.
No significant change in the physical propertieswas detected after TS/PEF or HTST treatment during 168 days of shelf
life (P≥0.05). Although the counts for both treatments were consistently within safe levels (