COMBINED TECHNOLOGIES FOR FOOD PRESERVATION USING BIOLOGICAL BARRIERS

In this work, we investigate a combined effect of bioprotective cultures and inert gas packaging on the preservation of semi-finished vegetable products under the conditions of standard refrigerated storage. For the preparation of semi-finished vegetable products, fruits of red and yellow bell pep-per, zucchini and eggplant, as well as celery stalks and Iceberg lettuce heads were used. These products were packaged using a flat multilayer film PA/adhesive/PE and a combined film material PET/A1/PE (Lyon company, Russia), along with food gas mixtures Biogon (R) NC20 and Biogon (R) NC40 (Linde Gas, Russia). Microbial single-strain preparations produced by Chr. Hansen (Den-mark) were used as biobarrier cultures. Technological recommendations for treating semi-finished vegetable products by a suspension of bioprotective cultures, which are resistant to the inert gas media of Biogon (R) NC40, are presented. The products were packaged in a gas-barrier film using a mixture of Biogon (R) NC40. The aspackaged semi-finished products were stored in a refrigeration chamber at a temperature not exceeding 4 +/- 2 degrees C. The effect of the modified gas media of Biogon (R) NC40 and Biogon (R) NC20 on the viability of Lactobacillus sakei, Pediococcus acidilactici survatus, Lactobacillus and Leuconostoc carnosum cultures was studied. A mixture of Biogon NC40 and Lactobacillus sakei is found to be optimal for preserving the quality of semi-finished pepper, egg-plant and zucchini. Iceberg lettuce is best preserved using Leuconostoc carnosum. The proposed method for the bio-preservation of semi-finished vegetable products has been introduced into production in the Russian company "Velikoross" (St. Petersburg).