από βιολογικά μήλα Κρήτης
Παραγωγή συμπυκνώματος
από βιολογικά μήλα Κρήτης
Παραγωγή συμπυκνώματος
HP-Apple
Region of Crete
Project title
Utilization of organically grown Lasithi apples for concentrate production and stabilization with Ultra High Pressure technology.
Project code: M16SYN2-00155
Submeasure 16.1- 16.2 “Establishment and operation of operational groups of the European Innovation Partnership (EIC) for the productivity and sustainability of agriculture” of the Rural Development Program of Greece 2014 – 2020.
Competent Authority for the Rural Development Program 2014-2020
Special Service for the Management of the Rural Development Program 2014-2020
Objective of the project
The aim of the project is the production of concentrate from organic Cretan apples of high quality and increased shelf life by applying vacuum condensation technology at low temperatures and applying Ultra High Pressure (UHP) to stabilize the final product.
Through the proposed project, it is proposed to find a solution to the biggest problem of the production process of apples and to exploit both the unmarketable apples due to appearance and the quantities that cannot be sold as table products, for the production of concentrated apple juice. In addition, it is proposed to optimize the production process of the condensate by replacing the intense heat treatment with YP, which is finding more and more applications in Greece.
Business plan objective
The production of a product which will have a significantly better quality and shelf life compared to the classic process of producing concentrates, but at the same time will preserve the excellent organoleptic characteristics of the fresh apple fruits of the Lasithi plateau.
OBJECTIVE 1.
Vacuum condensation technology
OBJECTIVE 2.
Ultra high pressure application
OBJECTIVE 3.
Concentrate from organic Cretan apples
Work units
Work unit 1
A study of the parameters of the vacuum condensation process will be carried out on the qualitative and organoleptic characteristics of the concentrates from Lasithi apples.
Work unit 2
Cold pasteurization with YP (600 MPa, 20°C, 5-10 min) will be applied to Lasithi apples not suitable for table use, as well as comparative evaluation with heat treatment (85°C for up to 20 min).
Ενότητα εργασίας 3
The advantage of using YP in terms of the microbiological stability of the final concentrates (including the shelf life of the final products) and their superior quality (including the aromatic profile and organoleptic characteristics) over conventional heat treatment will be studied and verified. In addition, an economic and technical study of the implementation of the YP will be carried out.
For each Work Unit, an extensive reference report will be delivered of the proposed methodology, the proposed production conditions with each applied technique-technology, as well as the results obtained from the study of the produced concentrates on a pilot scale.
Implementation methodology
Concentrates of organic apples from the Lasithi plateau will be produced using vacuum condensation technology, in which the water evaporates at much milder temperatures than conventional condensation.
The purpose is to preserve the special qualitative and organoleptic characteristics of the original juice after its concentration. For the production of the concentrates, appropriate equipment available to the innovation body will be used and it will be based on previous experience of the members of the research body in the use of low temperatures for the concentration and production of fruit and vegetable products. The concentrate that will be produced will be processed with Ultra High Pressure (UHP) technology in conditions of 600 MPa and at the same time a low temperature of 25°C. Especially for the specific juice concentrates, in the specific processing conditions with YP, the safety of the final products is ensured by simultaneously maintaining the special organoleptic characteristics of the specific products, but also by deactivating those enzymes that may cause changes in the final product such as tarnishing and separation into phases. For the final products, a sustainability study will be carried out with a selection of the most important quality indicators in order to verify the benefit of using YP and also to determine the expiry date of such a product.
The facilitator will assist in disseminating the results to local farmers and cooperatives, as well as to the electronic database of innovation projects in the National Agricultural Network (EAN) and the EIC network (EIP – AGRI).
Lassithi Plateau apples' collection
Vacuum condensation technology
Ultra high pressure application
Concentrate from organic Cretan apples
Expected results
The specific Business Plan will be a model and innovative for the market of Greece and Europe (there are no corresponding products in Europe) pillar of development and production of “mild” pasteurized apple concentrates, ready to eat, with improved quality, nutritional and organoleptic characteristics.
The proposed methodology using YP as “cold” pasteurization, will contribute to the microbiological stability of the product but also to the improvement of its quality and organoleptic characteristics in relation to conventional methods and could be applied by companies in the field.
The availability on the market of such a product with an increased shelf life provided by pasteurization with YP and at the same time of high quality with characteristics approaching those of fresh apple juice, is expected to lead to profits for the companies and benefit the consumer public by covering the of his needs for better quality products.
Partners
GREEK AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION "DIMITRA" - INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS TECHNOLOGY
