Thermal Inactivation Kinetics and Radio Frequency Control of <i>Aspergillus</i> in Almond Kernels
Mold infections in almonds are a safety issue during post-harvest, storage and consumption, leading to health problems for consumers and causing economic losses. The aim of this study was to isolate mold from infected almond kernels and identify it by whole genome sequence (WGS). Then, the more heat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Foods |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/11/1603 |
| Summary: | Mold infections in almonds are a safety issue during post-harvest, storage and consumption, leading to health problems for consumers and causing economic losses. The aim of this study was to isolate mold from infected almond kernels and identify it by whole genome sequence (WGS). Then, the more heat resistant mold was selected and the thermal inactivation kinetics of this mold influenced by temperature and water activity (<i>a<sub>w</sub></i>) was developed. Hot air-assisted radio frequency (RF) heating was used to validate pasteurization efficacy based on the thermal inactivation kinetics of this target mold. The results showed that the two types of molds were <i>Penicillium</i> and <i>Aspergillus</i> identified by WGS. The selected <i>Aspergillus</i> had higher heat resistance than the <i>Penicillium</i> in the almond kernels. Inactivation data for the target <i>Aspergillus</i> fitted the Weibull model better than the first-order kinetic model. The population changes of the target <i>Aspergillus</i> under the given conditions could be predicted from Mafart’s modified Bigelow model. The RF treatment was effectively used for inactivating <i>Aspergillus</i> in almond kernels based on Mafart’s modified Bigelow model and the cumulative lethal time model. |
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| ISSN: | 2304-8158 |