ŻYWNOŚĆ. Nauka. Technologia. Jakość, 2006, 1 (46) Supl., 173 - 182

IZABELA STEINKA, ANITA KUKUŁOWICZ

THE EFFECT OF FREEZING STORAGE CONDITIONS ON THE MICRO-FLORA OF ALOE PULP

S u m m a r y

The objective of the investigations was to estimate the effect of freezing storage conditions on forming the microbiological quality of aloe pulp.  The material investigated constituted three-year-old aloe leaves (Aloe arboresces), which were homogenized: one portion of the leaves was homogenized with their skin, and the other portion - after the skin was peeled. The aloe pulp was packed in PA/PE bags, hermetically closed, and frozen. There was determined the effect the 30 day and 60 day storage temperatures of -10ºC and -35ºC exerted on the development of counts of staphylococci, yeast, moulds and  mesoplillic micro-flora grown in the aloe pulp during the freezing storage.

It was proved that the freezing storage of aloe pulp had a diversified impact on the survival and growth of the micro-organisms groups investigated. It was found that the temperature of freezing storage and the method of preparing the aloe plant significantly impacted the count of micro-organisms grown in the aloe pulp. The results of investigations conducted showed that the freezing storage of a homogenized aloe plant at a temperature of -10ºC caused a decrease in the count of micro-organisms grown in aloe pulp.

Key words: aloe, pulp, micro-flora, freezing, storage