Black bean and rice burrito meal-ready-to-eat individual-size ( M E ' S )entrkes were retorted in flexible pouches with four residual gas levels (10, 20, 30, 40 c d ) and stored at three temperatures (4.4. 26.7 and 37.8C). Storage temperature was more influential upon quality than residual gas beyond one month of storage. Physicochemical and trained sensory analyses demonstrated that burritos stored at 37.8C darkened over time, but burritos stored at 4.4 and 26.7C did not. Untrained consumers gave lower scores to burritos stored at 37.8C, which were dull, dark, dry, and compressed, than to burritos stored at 4.4C, which were glossy, light, sticky and moist throughout storage. Burrito shelf-life exceeded 6 months at 4.4C, but was limited to less than 3 months at 37.8C. Residual gas levels in black bean and rice burrito MRE's need not be specified as long as levels are maintained between 10-40 cm'.
Wet pack pears in retort pouches were studied for six months. Four selected residual gas volumes [10, 15, 20 and 30 cubic centimeters (cc)] were used to determine the influence of residual gas volume on physicochemical and sensory attributes. Three storage temperatures (4.4, 26.7 and 37.8C) were used to carry out an accelerated shelf‐life study. Residual gas of 30 cc promoted faster darkening and higher ascorbic acid degradation than the rest of the volumes studied (α≤ 0.01). No significant effect of residual gas volume was found on any other attribute analyzed. Temperature accelerated the consumption of remaining oxygen in the pouches, degradation of ascorbic acid, formation of 5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐furaldehyde (HMF) and 2‐furaldehyde, and softening of pears. Calculated activation energies (Ea) for HMF and 2‐furaldehyde formation, ascorbic acid, and color degradation were 35, 31.1, 29.8, and 10.4 kcal/mol, respectively. Residual gas volume of 20 cc was the maximum volume studied that accomplished the desired shelf‐life for this product.
Four replicate batches of high- and low-salt queso fresco cheeses were made to comnpare consumer preferences. Seven trained panelists judged specific attributes of the eight cheeses. Untrained consumers (395) at three Washington state locations noted how much they liked or disliked the same cheeses. Thirty-three percent of the surveyed population was Hispanic, and 45% were familiar with queso fresco. All cheeses, except the one containing the highest percent salt and the highest pH, were liked slightly to moderately. Traditional consumers (either Hispanic or those familiar with queso fresco) preferred high-saltlhigh-pH cheeses to a greater extent than nontraditional consumers. Nontraditional consumers preferred low-salt/low-pH cheeses. The same preference trends were noted for all ages and at all three geographical locations. Queso fresco with 1.4-2.4% salt and a pH between 5.4-6.1 was most acceptable to the widest range of consumers.
Changes in specific physico‐chemical and sensory attributes as well as acceptability of beefsteak and beef stew Meal‐Ready‐to‐Eat (MRE) components packed under different headspace levels (10, 20, 30 and 40 cm3) and stored at selected temperatures of 4, 27 and 38C (40, 80 and 100F) were evaluated over a six month period. No significant changes in microbial counts, pH, residual oxygen, color, hardness and oxidation occurred in retort‐packed beefsteak or beef stew. Unlike beefsteak, beef stew received acceptable scores by consumers during all six months of analysis. Consumers' lack of familiarity with beefsteak may have negatively influenced product acceptability. Beefsteak and beef stew acceptability and specific attributes, particularly moistness and firmness, were detrimentally affected by high storage temperatures. Headspace may be increased to 40 cm3 without significant detrimental effects on product quality and acceptability of beefsteak or beef stew.
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