Effect of thermal and high-pressure processing on the quality and shelf life of coconut-cashew nut milk beverage

Plant-based beverages can be a healthier alternative for people with dietary restrictions, however, enhancement of their shelf life without affecting their nutritional value is quite complicated. High-pressure processing (HPP) might be a better solution for this concern. In this study, the impact of HPP (100-600 MPa) and thermal processing (63 degrees C, 30 min) on the shelf life and quality of coconut-cashew nut milk (CCM) beverage was analyzed for 21 days at refrigerated condition (4 +/- 2 degrees C). Among the processing conditions, HPP at 550 MPa for 2 min was found to be suitable to ensure microbial safety and overall quality of CCM beverage. The HPP treatment provided better retention of total phenolic content (4.16 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g) and antioxidant capacity (74.80%) than thermal processing. Both HPP and thermal processing exhibit a similar content of total carbohydrates and fat, however, a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in protein was observed in HPP-treated samples. Further, HPP-treated samples showed higher K, Ca, and P contents. Microstructure analysis revealed the formation of aggregates in HPP-treated samples during storage, which was further confirmed by an increase in average particle size and zeta potential. The study revealed that HPP could be a better alternative technology to achieve a high shelf life for plant-based beverages without affecting their quality and sensory parameters.