Minimally Processed Foods: Overview - Minimally Processed Foods - page 4

detrimental effects to their tender tissues. Sea foods are more prone to the attack of
micro-organisms. Therefore, combination of minimal processing techniques can cre-
ate wonder for inactivating the microbes on one side and maintain nutritive values.
The qualities of animal-based food rely on the desired fl avor, taste, color, and
odor by the consumers. The typical spoilage of seafood and meat occur by denatur-
ation of their proteins, which further involve the dissociation of their structures,
protein aggregation, and protein gelation (Cheftel 1995 ). Furthermore, denaturation
depends on the internal and external factors. Examples of external factors are tem-
perature, and internal factors are pH, and enzymes. The spores are diffi cult to kill
using minimal processing of hydrostatic pressure. However, combination of heat and
non-thermal techniques along refrigeration storage can result into the convincing
strategy. High hydrostatic pressure has seemed to work well with surface property of
fi sh and meat and preserved the texture and appearance to the acceptable limits.

1.4 Quality and Safety of Minimally Processed Foods

The types of minimally processed foods are given in Table 1.2 . The fi rst category
of plant based products are: fruits and unsweetened fruit juices, vegetables as
roots, tubers and beans (fresh, frozen, dried), legumes, grains, seeds, and nuts.

Table 1.2 Types of minimally processed foods
Plant based products Animal based products

Extracted
foods

Poultry/
fl eshy Fruits Vegetables Legumes Milk

Chilled Peeled and

Slices

Peas Sweeteners Pasteurized Eggs

Peech Potato Whole

pulses

Starches Fermented milk Dried meat

Mango Carrot Black gram Oils Curd Frozen meat

Strawberry Shredded Nuts Yoghurt Fish

Sliced Cabbage Seeds Probiotic drinks

Mango Lettuce Grains Cheese

Pineapple Spinach Herbs infusion

Apricot Diced Tea

Orange Onion Coffee

Guava Broccoli fl orets

Melon Caulifl ower

Roots
Tubers

Frozen

Beans
Peas