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Fruit juices consumptions have aided in the prevention of
heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes because of their
antioxidants, vitamins and minerals content. The huge
economic loss associated with their spoilage demands
development of effective preservation protocols. In this
study, the bacterial load reduction efficacy of electric
current induction (500volts and 250 volts), continuous
pasteurization and microfiltration techniques were assessed
on orange, pineapple and watermelon juices; and juice were
subjected to microbiological examination before and after
the treatments. The result obtained were as follows:
bacterial load of the juices before the treatments ranged
from 1.8 x 105 to 2.4 x 107 cfu/ml;
after the treatments, the load ranged from nil to 3.0 x 104
cfu/ml. Microfiltration technique was most efficient while
the 250 volts induction was the least. Bacterial isolates
encountered before the treatments were Acetobacter
sp, Bacillus sp, Citrobacter sp,
Enterobacter sp, Gluconobacter sp, Klebsiella
sp, Lactobacillus sp, Leuconostoc sp,
Proteus sp, Pseudomonas sp, Staphylococcus
sp, and Streptococcus sp. However, the bacterial
genera that were identified after the treatments were
Bacillus sp, Gluconobacter sp, and
Staphylococcus sp. The bacterial load reduction
abilities of these techniques indicate they can be used to
extend the shelf life of the juices for days and weeks.
Keywords:
Pasteurization, Microfiltration, Antioxidant, Electric
current induction, Cancer
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