Effect of relative humidity on the quality and safety of peeled almond kernels (Prunus dulcis Mill.) during simulated maritime transport/storage

Long-term transport and storage of peeled almonds under unsuitable conditions may cause the product’s rejection. To get knowledge in this topic, peeled almonds were stored at 25◦C and 60, 70, and 80% relative humidity (RH). The maintenance of high RH (80%) caused some visual defects after 4 months. Even though the 60, 70, and 80% RH did not clearly affect the production of primary and secondary products formed in the lipid oxidation during the 6 months of storage, sometimes an increase in the values of the specific extinction at the wavelength of 268 nm (K268) was observed at 80% RH, suggesting the occurrence to some extent of secondary oxidation. Concerning microbial counts, the almonds stored at 60 and 70% RH presented a satisfactory microbial quality until 6 months; however, at 80% RH, the mold counts were higher than the reference values after 2 months. Several mycotoxins were detected at low levels, including aflatoxins B1 and G1, although some showed higher amounts at 80% RH. In general, it is recommended that almond producers and industrials should consider the use of low RH (< 80%) for maritime transport and long-term storage of almond kernels.

Palavras-chave

Aflatoxins Microbiology Mycotoxins Lipid oxidation Packaging Peeled almonds

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/26851

Citação

Fernandes, Luana; Graeff, Francieli; Jelassi, Arij; Sulyok, Michael; Garcia, Carolina; Rodrigues, Nuno; Pereira, J.A.; Bento, Albino; Kanoun, Alifa; Rodrigues, Paula; Pereira, Ermelinda; Ramalhosa, Elsa (2022). Effect of relative humidity on the quality and safety of peeled almond kernels (Prunus dulcis Mill.) during simulated maritime transport/storage. Journal of Food Science. ISSN 0022-1147. 87:12, p. 5363-5374