A Large-Scale Study on Storage Stability of Cloudy Apple Juice Treated by N2 and Ascorbic Acid.

The effect of ascorbic acid and N₂ usage in large-scale cloudy apple juice production was investigated. Samples were stored at 5 and 20 C for 6 months. The quality of the initial cloudy apple juice samples was evaluated by characteristic properties ( pH, total titratable acidity, total dry matter, soluble solids and total phenolic content) and storage stability was evaluated by turbidity and color parameters, which were analyzed on a monthly basis. According to the results, change in total phenolic content of the samples was considerable (minimal values were recorded in N₂-treated groups). However, ascorbic acid and N₂ usage alone or in combination was not enough to prevent turbidity loss during storage. Only the lower temperature (5 C) chosen was effective to decelerate this loss. In terms of color stability, the most stable group was the N₂ and ascorbic acid-treated one (Δ E: 3.59 at 5 C). Practical Applications Color and cloud stability are important attributes of cloudy apple juice during storage. Many laboratory studies have been conducted to improve these quality parameters. However, there is no large-scale study about the storage stability of cloudy apple treated by N₂ and ascorbic acid during the production stages. Therefore, in this study, a large-scale cloudy apple juice production was performed using N₂ and ascorbic acid during the juice processing stage and the storage stability of the final products was investigated for 6 months. The results of this large-scale study could be useful for fruit juice processors and retailers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]