Vol. 11, Special Issue 9 (2022)

Author(s):
Anjitha Jacob, IP Sudagar, R Pandiselvam, P Rajkumar and M Rajavel

Abstract:
Mature coconut water (MCW) is a highly perishable drink susceptible to microbial degradation. Preservation by pulsed light treatment is an innovative technique for coconut water without affecting its organoleptic qualities. The effect of pulsed light treatment (500V and 1000V for 30, 60, and 90 sec) on pH, TSS, total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars and microbial load of mature coconut water was studied. Pulsed light treatment caused insignificant change in pH, and TSS. A significant decrease was observed in total sugars, reducing sugars, and microbial load. The non-reducing sugar content, however, reduced insignificantly with voltage. Due to these findings, pulsed light treatment could be a more effective means of controlling microbial growth in mature coconut water than thermal treatment.