3.1.2 Sample preparations
PHASE ONE: The pineapple varieties were received on the day of harvest.
Only fresh
pineapples with no defects were selected and used for the research. The fruits were washed,
weighed and immersed in a water bath set at different temperatures (60, 70, and 80 °C) for
different period/time (10, 20 and 30 min) of treatment, after which they were stored immediately
in a refrigerator at 5 °C for 24 h. Chemical and sensory analyses were carried out on the treated
and packaged fruit as well as the untreated control fruits. Juice from both treated and untreated
fruits were prepared and used for the chemical analysis. Good manufacturing practices and best
possible sanitary conditions, such as use of clean potable water, clean and sanitized processing
equipment etc, were strictly adhered to during processing and all subsequent handling stages.
Intensity for the sensory attributes was scored on a 10 cm scale, anchored with the terms dislike
very much at the low end, like moderately at the median (5) end and like very much at the high
level.