Evaluation of Food Deterioration by Multivariate Analysis

Introduction

During the development of food products, physiochemical tests, microbial tests, and sensory evaluations are conducted, and the shelf life of the food is set based on their objective indexes. In markets characterized by a large number of products and short product cycles, like at present, safety and quality are adequately ensured during the shelf life of products, but it is difficult to grasp the distinctive features of deterioration of each individual product. In addition, consumers also have various understandings of shelf life after the product is opened. For these reasons, methods for predicting deterioration over time are demanded. Deterioration of food is caused by microorganisms, water, oxygen, temperature, and light, resulting in decomposition of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, into low molecular compounds. For example, it is known that proteins decompose into peptides and amino acids and then form amines and organic acids. The purpose of this article was to track the condition of deterioration of milk after the product was opened. Amino acids, organic acids, sugars, and other hydrophilic components were identified using the Smart Metabolites Database™, and changes over time in those components were analyzed with the Traverse MS multivariate analysis software program.

September 1, 2020 GMT