Impact of HHP processing on volatile profile and sensory acceptance of Pera-Rio orange juice

The purpose of this study was to evaluate volatile compounds and sensory acceptance of HHP processed orange juice compared with non-processed and pasteurized orange juices. RSM and sniffing were successfully applied for optimization of HS-SPME conditions. The chosen HS-SPME conditions 37 degrees C during 25 min of exposure properly characterized the volatile profile of HHP processed, pasteurized and non-processed orange juices. HHP processing conditions had an impact on the volatile profile of the juice. Sensory acceptance was higher for non processed and similar for HHP and pasteurized orange juice. PCA discriminated processed from non-processed orange juice, and HHP from pasteurized orange juice. HHP processed orange juice was characterized by ethyl butanoate, octanal, 1-octanol, linalool, ethyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate, nootkatone and ethyl octanoate. Pasteurized orange juice was characterized by the same compounds as HHP, plus geranyl acetate and apart from ethyl octanoate. Terpinolene, octyl acetate, carveol, carvone, linalyl acetate and 6-elemene characterized non-processed orange juice. Industrial relevance: HHP processing has been used as an efficient food preservation process in order to meet consumers growing demand for juices with natural-like attributes. Orange juice HHP processing is claimed to inactivate PME and eliminate microorganisms by pressurizing the juice, maintaining freshness, sensorial and nutritive value. This technology is still not being used by the Brazilian juice industry, which presents itself as a whole range of opportunities. Therefore the focus on volatile compounds from Pera-Rio orange juice is due to its importance for Brazilian citrus industry. In this study orange juice pressurized in a pilot plant was compared to the non-processed and pasteurized orange juice, presenting a new approach for the analysis of volatile compounds, using RSM HS-SPME optimization combined with sniffing, and most importantly, considering the aroma representativeness, in order to properly evaluate the impact of HHP processing on the volatile compounds, responsible for the flavor of the juice and discriminate the volatile profile of the HHP orange juice compared with non-processed and pasteurized orange juice. Sensory acceptance of HHP processed orange juice was also performed to verify if changes in volatile profile were perceived by consumers.