Two fresh red vegetables smoothies based on tomato, carrots, pepper and broccoli and rich in healthpromoting compounds were developed. The smoothies showed a viscoelastic behaviour. According to sensory analyses, a shelf life of 28 days at 5°C for fresh blended smoothies was established while thermally-treated ones (3 min, 80°C) reached up to 40 days at 20°C and 58 days at 5°C. For those mild heat treated smoothies, total vitamin C degradation was 2-fold reduced during storage at 5°C compared to samples stored at 20°C while the initial total carotenoids, lycopene and total chlorophylls contents were not greatly affected. A 250-g portion of such smoothies covers in a great extend the established recommended daily nutrient intakes for dietary fibre, minerals and vitamin C of different population groups. As main conclusion, a mild thermal treatment and low temperature storage greatly increased the shelf life of red fresh vegetables smoothies and reduced total vitamin C degradation.

Changes in the polyphenoloxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), pectinmethylesterase (PME) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities, total phenolics content (TPC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) on two red fresh vegetable smoothies (R1 and R2) based on tomato, red pepper, broccoli and carrot stored at 5 and 20°C were monitored. A conventional thermal treatment of 3 min at 80°C was applied to extend shelf life. The initial PPO, POD, and PME activities of R1/R2 smoothies (58/83, 0.023/0.020, and 1.50/0.38 kg −1 fresh weight (fw)) were 100 % reduced after thermal treatment and maintained at zero levels during storage up to 40 and 58 days at 20 and 5°C, respectively. Initial PAL activities of R1/R2 smoothies of 7.3/11.5 μmol cinnamic acid formed kg −1 h −1 were reduced in a 65-70 % after thermal treatment. The initial TPC of R1/R2 smoothies were 404/462 mg GAE kg −1 fw, and it was not significantly affected after the thermal treatment. No great TPC degradation during storage was observed either at 5 or 20°C. The initial TAC of R1/R2 smoothies were 301/373 mg Trolox equivalent kg −1 fw which was increased 62/77 % after the thermal treatment. The TAC showed a similar behavior to TPC during storage being those two parameters satisfactorily correlated (r 2 =0.69-0.88). In conclusion, the thermal treatment inactivated the studied qualitydegrading enzymes. Health-promoting compounds were well preserved during 58 days at 5°C and 40 days at 20°C in red fresh vegetable smoothies.

Smoothies represent an excellent and convenient alternative to promote the daily consumption of fruit and vegetables in order to obtain their health-promoting benefits. Accordingly, a green fresh vegetables smoothie (77.2% cucumber, 12% broccoli and 6% spinach) rich in health-promoting compounds was developed. Soluble solids content, pH and titratable acidity of the smoothie were 4.3 ± 0.4°Bx, 4.49 ± 0.01 and 0.22 ± 0.02 mg citric acid 100 g fw, respectively. Two thermal treatments to reduce microbial loads and preserve quality were assayed: T1 (3 min at 80 ℃) and T2 (45 s at 90 ℃). Fresh blended unheated samples were used as control (CTRL). The smoothie presented a viscoelastic behaviour. T1 and T2 treatments reduced initial microbial loads by 1.3-2.4 and 1.4-3.1 log units, respectively. Samples were stored in darkness at 5 and 15 ℃. Colour and physicochemical changes were reduced in thermal-treated samples throughout storage, which were better preserved at 5 ℃ rather than at 15 ℃. Vitamin C changes during storage were fitted with a Weibullian distribution. Total vitamin C losses of T1 and T2 samples during storage at 15 ℃ were greatly reduced when they were stored at 5 ℃. Initial total phenolic content (151.1 ± 4.04 mg kg fw) was 44 and 36% increased after T1 and T2 treatments, respectively. The 3-p-coumaroyl quinic and chlorogenic acids accounted the 84.7 and 7.1% relative abundance, respectively. Total antioxidant capacity (234.2 ± 20.3 mg Trolox equivalent kg fw) remained constant after the thermal treatments and was better maintained during storage in thermal-treated samples. Glucobrassicin accounted the 81% of the initial total glucosinolates content (117.8 ± 22.2 mg kg fw) of the smoothie. No glucosinolates losses were observed after T2 treatment being better preserved in thermal-treated samples. Conclusively, a short time-high temperature mild thermal treatment (T2) showed better quality and bioactive compounds retention in a green fresh vegetable smoothie during low temperature storage.

The main nutritional/bioactive compounds (protein; aminoacids, AA; fucose; minerals; vitamins B12 and C; and total phenolic content, TPC) of nine commercial algae powders, used as food supplements, were studied. Undaria pinnatifida showed the highest protein/aminoacid contents (51.6/54.4 g 100 g). Among brown macroalgae, Himanthalia elongata showed the highest fucose content (26.3 g kg) followed by Laminaria ochroleuca (22.5 g kg). Mineral contents of 15-24% were observed in the algae, being particularly excellent sources of iodine (69.0-472.0 mg kg). Porphyra spp. and Palmaria palmata showed the highest vitamin B12 contents (667-674 µg kg). Vitamin C ranged among 490.4-711.8 mg kg. H. elongata showed the highest total phenolic content (14.0 g kg). In conclusion, the studied algae are excellent sources of protein, AA, minerals, vitamin C and some of them presented particularly high vitamin B12 and fucose contents, which may have a potential use as food supplements.

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The control of the main environmental factors that influence the quality of perishable products is one of the main challenges of the food industry. Temperature is the main factor affecting quality, but other factors like relative humidity and gas concentrations (mainly C2H4, O2 and CO2) also play an important role in maintaining the postharvest quality of horticultural products. For this reason, monitoring such environmental factors is a key procedure to assure quality throughout shelf life and evaluate losses. Therefore, in order to estimate the quality losses that a perishable product can suffer during storage and transportation, a real-time monitoring system has been developed. This system can be used in all post-harvest steps thanks to its Wi-Fi wireless communication architecture. Several laboratory trials were conducted, using lettuce as a model, to determine quality-rating scales during shelf life under different storage temperature conditions. As a result, a multiple non-linear regression (MNLR) model is proposed relating the temperature and the maximum shelf life. This proposed model would allow to predict the days the commodities will reduce their theoretical shelf-life when an improper temperature during storage or in-transit occurs. The system, developed as a sensor-based tool, has been tested during several land transportation trips around Europe.