Albena Durakova1, Adelina Bogoeva2, Velichka Yanakieva3, Tzvetana Gogova4, Ivan Dimov5, Rumyana Krasteva6, Kristina Dosheva4
1 University of Food Technologies, Department of Process Engineering, 26 Maritsa Blvd, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2 Institute of Food Preservation and Quality, Department of Food Technologies, 4003 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
3 University of Food Technologies, Department of Microbiology, 26 Maritsa Blvd, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
4 University of Food Technologies, Department of Technology of Grain, Fodder, Bread and Confectionery Products, 26 Maritsa Blvd, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
5 Trakia University, Department of Food Technologies, Faculty of Techniques and Technologies, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
6 University of Food Technologies, Center of Physical Education and Sport, 26 Maritsa Blvd, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Durakova, A., Bogoeva, A., Yanakieva, V., Gogova, Tzv., Dimov, I., Krasteva, R. & Dosheva, K. (2019). Storage studies of subtropical fruit lucuma in powdered form. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 25 (6), 1287–1292
In the present paper, we examined Lucuma powder. Nowadays, the subtropical fruit has been considerate as a functional food product with health benefits, a source of bioactive compounds (BAC), knows as part of “Superfoods”. The current scientific research is focused on the two different experimental types of storage. The Lucuma powder was packed in a co-extruded barrier film with copolymer covering for heat sealing. The first storage was executed for three months at initial humidity of the product – 9.71%, stored at room temperature – 18°С÷25°С and relative air humidity of 45% to 55%. The storage regime was optimized to six months at the same condition (temperature and relative humidity). Flour was dried to humidity – 2.95%, corresponded monolayer moisture content (MMC), and determined using linealization of Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) equation. Those results about MMC for adsorption were in the range of 2.93% to 4.18 % and for desorption – from 2.56% to 4.17%. During the studies of Lucuma powder, analysis of their microbial load, granulometric composition and moisture content were performed. No living cells of pathogenic organisms (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella spp.) or apparent molding were detected. The flour particle size has not changed either.