Study on the Tunnel Pasteurizer on Table Olives Processing

The application of heat treatment is particularly important in maintaining the organoleptic characteristics of fermented agro-food products, which potential consumers perceive as reflecting the quality of these foodstuffs. However, heat treatments can be cause of deterioration of many quality parameters of agro-food products, including texture, intended as the consistency of the pulp. In this study 'Nocellara del Belice' table olives produced in 2010 and packaged in glass jars were subjected to pasteurization at industrial scale using a tunnel pasteurizer with a core temperature of 75 degrees C for 8 min. The aim of the study was to mechanically evaluate the pulp texture evolution that contributes to the quality of the product up to 36 months after packaging. The experimental tests were performed 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months after packaging. At each sampling time the consistency of the pulp through compression tests was evaluated. A panel test was also carried out to perform sensory evaluation of table olives. Results reported herein showed that table olives maintained the requirements regarding physical-mechanical properties, but there is a decrease of some qualitative aspects determining the consumers' taste, among these, fruit firmness.