Food Research International 33 (2000) 609616

www.elsevier.com/locate/foodres

Eect of blanching/osmotic dehydration combined methods on

quality and stability of minimally processed strawberries
J. Moreno a, A. Chiralt b,*, I. Escriche b, J.A. Serra b
a
Department of Agroindustries, Universidad del Bo-Bo, Casilla 447, Chillan, Chile
Department of Food Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera, 14, 46022-Valencia, Spain

Received 15 October 1999; accepted 3 January 2000

Abstract
The combined eect of blanching [steam (S) or microwave (MW)] and osmotic dehydration at atmospheric pressure (OD) or
pulsed vacuum treatments (PVOD), on some physiochemical and quality parameters of strawberry (aw, pH, color, rmness, polyphenoloxidase enzyme activity and microstructure), as well as on microbial stability of processed samples, was analyzed. Pulsed
vacuum osmotic dehydration with 65 Brix sucrose solution of strawberry, carried out after steam blanching treatment was the most
eective in aw depression due to the highest sucrose gain during osmotic treatment. This implies the highest loss of rmness and
color changes, but at the same time it induce the greatest microbial stability. CryoSEM observations shows that, steam treated
samples suer a great degree of cell decompartmentation near the fruit skin, as compared with the well preserved cells in MW
treated samples. Dierences in microstructural features observed between OD and PVOD treated samples were not reected on the
measured mechanical parameters. # 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.
Keywords: Blanching; Osmotic dehydration; Minimally processed; Strawberries

1. Introduction
The Strawberry, among the berry species has been
obtaining the best commercial development in recent
years. (Maroto, 1995). Traditional processing methods
used for it conservation seriously aects sensorial and
nutritive values of fresh fruit. Osmotic dehydration of
fruits allows a reduction of the water activity, providing
high moisture products (aw=0.920.97) (Leistner, 1995),
with sensorial characteristics very similar to those of the
fresh fruit, maintaining color, texture and aroma (Heng,
Guilbert & Cuq, 1990). Water activity reduction slows
down deteriorative reactions and increases microbial
stability, thus prolonging the fruit shelf-life (Chirife,
1988; Wiley, 1994).
The use of vacuum in the osmotic dehydration (VOD)
(Fito & Chiralt, 1997) allows the improvement of mass
transfer kinetics, increasing rate of water and weight
loss and solid gain (Shi, Fito & Chizalt, 1995). Vacuum
pulsed osmotic dehydration (PVOD) has been described
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +34-963-877-364; fax: +34-963877-956.
E-mail address: dchiralt@tal.upv.es (A. Chiralt).

(Fito, 1994) and consists of the application of subatmospheric pressure for a short time in the tank at the
beginning of the process, followed by a longer osmotic
dehydration period at atmospheric pressure. This leads
to an exchange of internal gas/liquid by external solution through hydrodynamic mechanism (HDM) (Fito,
1994; Fito & Chiralt, 1997), thus promoting very fast
composition changes and variation in mass transfer
kinetics (Fito, 1994).
Previous studies on the osmotic dehydration of
strawberry have shown that sugar gain is not aected by
the temperature increase in the range 3050 C (Shi,
1994). So, the lowest temperature (30 C) could be
recommended to better preserve taste, color and nutritional strawberry properties. Mass transfer rate was
increased when vacuum was used during osmotic treatment, without important dierences between kinetics of
VOD and PVOD treatments. So, the latter is recommended in order to reduce the equipment investment
(Shi, 1994).
Poliphenoloxidase (PPO) present in strawberry tissues,
causes loss of red color because of deterioration of
antocianines pigments (Markakis, 1974) and browning.
This appears during dierent process operations as a

0963-9969/00/$ - see front matter # 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

PII: S0963-9969(00)00097-1

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J. Moreno et al. / Food Research International 33 (2000) 609616

result of cellular disruption and access of oxygen (Cano,

Hernandez & De Ancos, 1997). Therefore, blanching
treatments are recommendable before minimally processing the strawberry in order to preserve its color during
shelf-life. The traditional blanching treatments using
boiling water and steam, induce a faster mass transfer,
when they are applied before osmotic dehydration
(Alzamora, Gershenson, Vidales & Nieto, 1997). The use
of microwaves to reduce PPO activity in strawberry
(Moreno, Chiralt, Escriche & Serra, 1998) and banana
slices (Cano, Marin & Fuster, 1990), led to satisfactory
results.
The osmotic and blanching treatments will involve
changes of texture and color depending on process
variables. To limit these changes to a minimum and to
preserve the characteristics of fresh fruit, it is important
to adjust process variables.
The aim of this work is to analyze the combined eect
of two kinds of blanching (steam and microwave) and
osmotic (atmospheric pressure and pulsed vacuum)
treatments on some physicochemical and quality parameters of strawberry. Microstructural features associated with treatments, as well as the microbial stability
of processed fruits are also analyzed.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Sample preparation
Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa, cv. Chandler) from
Huelva (Spain) were obtained from commercial sources.
Fruits for processing were selected according to their
appearance (ripeness, size and color), washed and the
peduncle was removed. A 65  Brix sucrose was used as
osmotic solution.
2.2. Blanching treatments
Blanching was carried out in two dierent procedures:
(a) Steam treatment (S), the fruit was exposed to steam
for 0.5 min at atmospheric pressure and then cooled in
water at 15 C and (b) Microwave treatment (MW),
loads of 400 g of fruit were exposed in a microwave
oven to 400 W for 2.5 min and afterwards cooled in
water at 15 C. Both treatments were applied before or
after the osmotic dehydration. The time of treatment
was established on the basis of previous experiments,
where overall fruit quality was evaluated as a function
of treatment time (Moreno, 1999).
2.3. Osmotic treatments
Osmotic dehydration (OD) was carried out in equipment with 10 l capacity with pressure and temperature
control and a recirculation system of the osmotic solution.

Strawberries were immersed in the tank containing the

osmotic solution at 30 C. A recirculation pump (1 m3/h)
connected to the tank allows a good agitation level of
the osmotic solution. Processing time was four hours in
all treatments. This time is taken on the basis of previous studies, in order to reduce the strawberry water
activity to 0.960.97, to improve the stability of the
refrigerated product (Alzamora et al., 1997). The system
worked at atmospheric pressure (OD) or was submitted
under vacuum conditions (50 mb) for 5 min, after that,
the atmospheric pressure was restored and samples
remained in those conditions until the end of the
experiment (PVOD).
2.4. Experimental design
Combinations of blanching (BT: S and MW) and
osmotic (OT: OD and PVOD) treatments were applied
on strawberry samples. The order of the steps (BT-OT
or OT-BT) was changed to obtain a total of 8 dierent
treatments. In each treatment, the sample was characterised
before and after each step (BT or OT) as to moisture
content, soluble solids, aw, pH, colour, rmness, PPO
enzyme activity and microstructure. Microbial stability
of processed samples was analysed throughout storage
at 5 and 25 C.
2.5. Analysis of physicochemical properties
Water activity (aw) was measured in a dew point
hygrometer Decagon CX-2 (Decagon Devices, Inc.,
Pullman, WA). Moisture content of samples was determined by vacuum drying, at 60 C until constant weight
was achieved (Association of Ocial Analytical Chemists [AOAC], 1997). Soluble solids were determined
using a digital refractometer (Atago, NAR T3, Japan).
Results were reported as  Brix at 20 C. The pH of
samples was measured with a glass electrode attached to
Crison micropH 2001 (Crison Instrumental, S.A., Barcelona, Spain). All measurements were made in triplicate and the average values were reported.
Strawberry skin color was evaluated with a spectrocolorimeter (Minolta CM 1000R, Japan). CIE Lab
coordinates were obtained using D65 illuminant a 10
observer as reference system. Clarity (L*), hue (h*ab),
and chroma (C*ab) were calculated from the average of
nine color measurements.
Samples rmness was evaluated with a Lloyd press
model 1000R (Lloyd Instruments, Segensworth Farenham, England) using a Kramer shear cell with ten
blades. The press crosshead speed was set at 200 mm/
min. Samples of 2535 g of halved strawberries were
measured in each mechanical test. The mechanical
parameter considered was the maximum peak force (F
max.), reported as N/g sample. Ten replicates were
performed for each treatment.

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611

Samples cryoxation was carried out by immersion in

slush nitrogen (210 C). After that, they were freezefractured, etched (at 95 C, 7.5106 torr vacuum, for
15 min), gold coated and viewed in the cold-stage SEM.
Using this technique the fractured surface of the frozen
sample was directly observed while it was maintained at
145 C (Bomben & King, 1982).

2.6. Determination of enzyme activity

The enzymatic activity was determined according to
the method described by Cano et al. (1997), with slight
modications. The enzyme extract was obtained by
homogenization with an Ultra-Turrax T25 (Janke &
Kunkel, IKA, Labortechnik, Germany), dispersing tool
S 25 N-18G. The supernatant obtained from centrifugation is ltered through Whatman No 1 lter
paper. Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity was measured
at 25 C in a spectrophotometer (Cecil CE 1020, Cambridge, England) at 420 nm. Enzyme activities were
determined by measuring the initial slope of the curve
absorbance vs:time during reaction. The enzyme activity
unit was dened as the change in absorbance/min/g
fresh sample.

2.9. Microbial analysis

The microbial counts using standard techniques
(Pascual, 1992) included aerobic plate count, psychrotrophic ora count and moulds and yeasts. All analyses
were performed in duplicate by using two samples from
each treatment and the average results are reported. All
bacteriological media were obtained from ADSA micro
(Ferosa, Spain).

2.7. Sugar determination

2.10. Statistical analysis

Strawberry sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose)

were analyzed in a Waters (LC Module I plus) liquid
chromatograph, including a 600 pump, a 715 autosampler and a Waters 410 dierential refractometer.
Data were processed with the Millennium 2010 Chromatography manager software. Isocratic separation of
the compounds was obtained on a Waters high performance carbohydrate analysis column at 35 C. The
eluant phase was acetonitrilewater (75:25), at a ow
rate of 1.4 ml/min.

Statistical analyses of data were performed through

an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a Tukey test
using Statgraphics Plus 4 Software (Statgraphics, 1998).
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Chemical and physicochemical changes
Table 1 shows composition [mass fraction of water
(Xw) and soluble solids (Xs)],  Brix, aw, and pH of
samples of fresh fruit and of fruit processed by insulated
or combined treatments. Likewise, the residual PPO
enzyme activity (REA) reached in each case is shown.
PVOD treatments promote slightly greater concentration levels in samples than OD treatments, in agreement
with the action of hydrodynamic mechanisms coupled

2.8. Structural analysis

Structural analysis was carried out using Cryo-SEM
technique, with a Jeol JSM-5410 microscope. Rectangular pieces 71.05 mm obtained from equatorial
zone of strawberry were analyzed from the surface to
the center of the fresh and treated samples.

Table 1
Composition parameters, aw, pH and residual enzyme activity (REA) reached by fresh samples in the rst step (BT or OT) of combined treatments,
and at the end point
Treatments

aw

Xsa

Xwb

Fresh
S
MW
OD
PVOD
S-OD
S-PVOD
MW-OD
MW-PVOD
OD-S
PVOD-S
OD-MW
PVOD-MW

0.9940.003
0.9960.002
0.9950.002
0.9810.001
0.9740.002
0.9720.001
0.9610.001
0.9740.002
0.9700.002
0.9870.001
0.9850.001
0.9830.002
0.9790.002

0.0820.004
0.0800.003
0.0790.003
0.1620.003
0.1690.003
0.1830.003
0.2220.003
0.1660.004
0.1920.004
0.1100.003
0.1140.004
0.1500.004
0.1590.004

0.9050.003
0.9110.002
0.9070.002
0.8170.002
0.8030.002
0.8050.002
0.7750.001
0.8170.002
0.8030.002
0.8900.003
0.8800.004
0.8550.003
0.8400.003

8.30.3
8.10.3
8.00.2
16.50.3
17.30.3
18.50.3
22.20.2
16.90.3
19.30.3
11.00.3
11.50.3
15.00.3
15.90.3

a
b

Xs (mass fraction of soluble solids).

Xw (mass fraction of water) (n=3).

Brix

pH

REA%

3.680.05
3.670.03
3.680.03
3.830.03
3.790.03
3.700.02
3.690.02
3.710.04
3.730.03
3.790.03
3.760.03
3.810.04
3.770.03

100.00.0
81.21.3
79.82.4

76.11.0
76.00.9
76.71.7
76.51.6

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J. Moreno et al. / Food Research International 33 (2000) 609616

with diusional-osmotic phenomena which accelerate

mass transfer (Fito & Chiralt, 1997). This is reected in
lower values of Xw and aw, as well as in higher values of
Xs and  Brix of PVOD treated samples, as compared
with the corresponding OD treated. On the other hand,
blanching treatments, specially stem treatments, promote mass transfer acceleration when were applied previously to OT, in a more appreciable way for PVOD.
This indicates that changes in the tissue induced by stem
or MW treatments, such as cell decompartmentation,
leads to a faster mass transfer rate, even by hydrodynamic mechanisms. Composition changes induced by
insulated BT were only slightly appreciated in stem
treatment and were explained in terms of a small lixiviation of soluble solids from the more external cells.
BT did not aect sample pH, and only a slight pH
increase was observed in some insulated or combined
osmotic treatments that may be attributed to the acid
lixiviation throughout osmotic process.
BT led to about 80% of residual enzyme activity
(REA) for both S and MW treatments. A slightly higher
eciency of BT seems to be detected when these were
applied after the osmotic treatments. An enzyme stress
factor, such as aw depression, can act as hurdle eect
contributing to decrease enzyme activity during BT
(Leistner, 1995).
Changes in the major sugar concentration (fructose,
glucose and sucrose) in strawberry due to the dierent
treatments have been controlled by HPLC. Sugar gain
or loss (DMs ) in each case have been determined by
applying Eq. (1), where m is the sample mass before (0
superscript) and after (t superscript) process and xs the
sugar mass fraction. Mass fraction of each sugar in
fresh samples were 1.960.08, 1.830.08, and 0.61
0.02 g/100 g fruit, respectively for fructose, glucose and
sucrose and gains or losses in each treatment are shown
in Table 2.
Table 2
Net gains (
M) of sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose) reached in
samples in the rst step and at the end of the combined treatmentsa
Treatments

Mfr

Mgl

Msc

S
MW
OD
PVOD
S-OD
S-PVOD
MW-OD
MW-PVOD
OD-S
PVOD-S
OD-MW
PVOD-MW

0.0000.000
0.0000.000
0.0130.001
0.0100.001
0.0090.001
0.0100.002
0.0110.001
0.0170.001
0.0030.000
0.0010.000
0.0090.001
0.0100.001

0.0010.000
0.0010.000
0.0110.001
0.0120.001
0.0070.001
0.0130.001
0.0150.001
0.0160.001
0.0020.001
0.0010.000
0.0100.001
0.0130.001

0.0010.000
0.0010.000
0.0350.001
0.0410.001
0.0570.003
0.0810.004
0.0320.002
0.0460.002
0.0070.001
0.0120.001
0.0290.002
0.0310.002

Values are given as means with their standard deviations (n=3).

Ms

mt xts m0 x0s
m0 x0s

Negligible losses of major sugar during BT of strawberry were observed. During insulated or combined
osmotic treatments a notable gain of sucrose from the
osmotic solution was observed (Table 2). Stem BT
applied previously to OT greatly promotes sucrose gain,
especially in PVOD process. Previous MW treatment
only increased sucrose gain combined with PVOD.
Nevertheless, BT applied after OT provokes sucrose loss
as compared with gain due to the corresponding previous OT. This is especially intense in S treatments and
can be attributed to losses of the fruit liquid phase
associated with cell decompartmentation because of
thermal treatment. These results are coherent with differences in aw for dierent treatments and with that
reported by other authors with respect to destruction of
cell wall and changes in membrane permeability during
BT (Alzamora et al., 1997). Due to these changes the
cellular tissue will modify its mass transfer behaviour
during OT giving higher sugar gains.
On the other hand, similar positive gains of glucose
and fructose were observed in each osmotic treatment,
which can only be explained in terms of a partial
hydrolysis of gained sucrose inside the fruit tissue
probably due to biological activity of the tissue (Belitz
& Grosch, 1997). The degree of hydrolysis seems very
similar in almost all the cases, but it was slightly
higher in MW treated samples before OT, whereas very
low values of glucose and fructose gains were detected
in samples stem treated after OT. Hydrolysis of
sucrose will contribute to aw depression in the processed
samples.
3.2. Mechanical and color changes
Applied BT and OT processes provoke small colour
changes in the fruit surface. Table 3 shows the average
and standard deviation of clarity (L), hue (hab) and
chrome (Cab) obtained for fresh and processed fruit.
Homogeneous values of each color co-ordinate,
according with a Tukey test, were reected by the same
letter superscript. Very small dierences can be
observed among L values of dierent samples, as well
as for hab values. Chrome was the color attribute that is
subject to the greater changes; both MW and S treatments provoke loss of color chrome, especially S when
applied after OT. Nevertheless OT increases the chrome
value as compared with fresh fruit. The greater total
color dierence in respect to fresh fruit was obtained for
S-OT and OT-S treatments, principally due to chrome
increase and decrease respectively. Nevertheless, total
color dierence is very close to 1 in many cases, which
will imply almost non-perceptible changes.

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613

Table 3
Eect of blanching and osmotic combined treatments on surface colour and rmness of strawberries
Colour
Treatments

Firmnessa (N/g)

L*b

h*abb

C*abb

E c

Fresh
S
MW
OD
PVOD
S-OD
S-PVOD
MW-OD
MW-PVOD
OD-S
PVOD-S
OD-MW
PVOD-MW

5.00.1ad
4.20.2g
4.60.1de
4.90.1ab
4.80.1bc
4.00.1h
3.90.1h
4.50.2ef
4.40.1f
4.40.1f
4.30.1fg
4.70.1cd
4.60.1de

32.01.3a
32.91.3b
33.01.4b
33.60.8a
33.30.8b
33.60.5bc
33.80.8cd
33.60.9bc
33.60.7bc
34.30.5de
34.40.7e
33.01.0bc
33.20.8b

24.61.9ab
24.70.9ab
24.51.8ab
25.42.0b
24.80.4ab
25.50.9b
25.61.4b
25.01.9ab
24.31.8ab
25.51.5b
23.71.0a
25.31.0b
24.71.1ab

29.32.5ab
27.40.5b
28.60.6c
31.61.1g
31.30.8efg
32.60.9g
31.70.3fg
30.20.2def
29.90.5cde
26.81.1ab
26.10.9a
30.00.7de
29.40.9cd

2.20.1
1.50.8
2.60.3
2.40.3
3.70.3
3.20.4
2.00.2
1.940.16
3.60.4
4.20.2
1.390.12
1.590.15

a
b
c
d

Values represent the mean and standard deviation of 10 analyses.

Values represent the mean and standard deviation of nine analyses.
Relative to fresh sample.
Letters in values show the homogeneous groups from a Tukey test ( < 0:05).

Maximum force values, expressed per g of sample,

obtained from mechanical test did not show great differences among samples, although a decrease is
observed due to the dierent treatments. Stem blanching
promotes the higher force reduction, especially in combined S-OD and S-PVOD treatments. MW implied lower
force decrease in insulated or combined way. Insulated
OD and PVOD treatments only represent a 24% of
force decay; the softness associated with loss of fruit
turgor seems to be partially compensated with hardening
due to drying.
3.3. Structural changes by CryoSEM
Cryo-SEM observations allow us to observe the
structural solids, such as cell wall and membranes, but
also the soluble solids of cells in a dentritic structure
formed during the ice microcrystal sublimation in the
glassy cryoconcentrated cell liquid phase. Bright structural elements in the micrographs correspond to the
polymeric structures and water-solute glass, and dark
spots to the ice microcrystal sites (Bomben & King,
1982). Dierences of microstructural eects of steam
and microwaves treatments near (about 0.8 mm) the
epidermis of strawberry is shown in Fig. 1. Steam treated
samples showed a great degree of cell decompartmentation
near the fruit skin, reected by the few denition of the
cell walls and membranes observed in micrographs, as
compared with the well preserved cells in MW treated
samples, at the same distance to the fruit surface. These
observations agree with the mass transfer behavior
commented on above and the major sucrose gain
observed in S-OD and S-PVOD treatments.

Fig. 1. CryoSEM micrographs of (a) steam and (b) microwave treated strawberries at 0.8 mm of sample surface (cw, cell wall; ic, intracelular content).

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J. Moreno et al. / Food Research International 33 (2000) 609616

Osmotic processes caused dierent alteration levels in

cells as a function of the distance from fruit epidermis,
thus dening a structural prole. This has been previously observed for osmosed apple slices where the
internal cells remained unaltered throughout osmotic
process whereas in the more external zone a compositional prole is developed coherently with changes in
cell structure (Salvatori, Andres, Chiralt & Fito, 1998).
From this point of view, internal cells in the tissue could
remain alive, thus aecting product stability and quality.
In Fig. 2, cells from OD and PVOD treated samples at
0.2 and 3.5 mm of fruit surface are shown. At 3.5 mm,
cells appear practically undeformed in both OD and
PVOD treatments, their aspect being similar to that
shown by fresh tissue cells. On the contrary, at 0.2 mm
of fruit surface, cell walls are deformed showing the
absence of cell turgor and the cell shrinkage associated
to water loss.
In regards to possible dierences promoted by the
kind of treatment (OD or PVOD), a dierent aspect of
liquid phase in the intercellular spaces (is) seems to be
appreciated. In PVOD samples, this liquid phase
appears as a more compact dentritic structure than in

OD samples, the latter showing the same aspect in the

intra- and intercellular volumes. This could be due to a
partial solubilization of pectic substances of middle
lamella in the is liquid phase, which could occur to
greater extent in PVOD treatments. Nevertheless, these
dierences in microstructural features were not reected
on the measured mechanical parameters.
3.4. Microbiological analyses
The microbial growth (aerobic plate count, psychrotrophic ora count and moulds and yeasts) in samples
stored at 25 C overcomes the limit count (106107 cfu/g)
(Pascual, 1992) at 7 day rst control. However, microbial stability of samples treated by steam and MW
stored at 5 C was maintained for 30 and 15 days
respectively (Fig. 3ac). Steam treatment was more
eective in sample preservation when it was applied
before OT probably due to reduction of initial count of
micro-organisms in the sample surface by thermal eect
and the lightly lower aw reached in subsequent OT.
In conclusion, pulsed vacuum osmotic dehydration
with 65 Brix sucrose solution of strawberry carried out

Fig. 2. CryoSEM micrographs of parenchyma tissue of (a and b) OD and (c and d) PVOD, at (a and c) 0.2 mm, (b) 3.5 mm and (d) 1.2 mm from
strawberry surface (cw, cell wall; bz, bonding zone; ic, intracellular content; is, intercellular space; t, tonoplast).

J. Moreno et al. / Food Research International 33 (2000) 609616

after stem blanching treatment was the most eective in

aw depression due to the highest sucrose gain during
osmotic treatment. This also implied one of the highest losses of rmness and color changes, but these

615

parameters maintained reasonable values. At the same

time it induced the greatest microbial stability, probably
by the reduction of the initial microbial count by thermal
eect.

Fig. 3. Aerobic plate count (cfu/g) (a), moulds and yeast (cfu/g) (b) and psychrotrophic count (cfu/g) (c) in minimally processed strawberries during
storage at 5 C. [Dashed lines show the permitted levels in this kind of product (Pascual, 1992).]