The puree storage in industries such as baking, pastry making, and beverages is one of the most critical issues. Clearly, because poor handling ends up altering flavor, texture, color, and product safety.
Although it is processed, fruit puree remains a sensitive product. In fact, a minor mistake in storage can raise the risk of contamination. Furthermore, losing an entire batch due to a storage mistake will not only cost you money but also damage customer confidence.
As a food and beverage producer, proper storage of purees is crucial to ensuring a safe, consistent, and high-quality final product. Follow these tips to keep your ingredients fresh and ready for use.
What are the most common mistakes in puree storage?
Although it may seem simple, preserving fruit puree presents several challenges. Therefore, we have compiled a list of different terms that are commonly forsaken in fruit storage (Eufic, 2024):
- Temperature fluctuations: inconsistent storage temperatures can alter the puree’s texture and flavor, especially during refrigeration or freezing.
- Air exposure: frequently opening containers without proper handling exposes the puree to oxygen, accelerating oxidation, which leads to changes in color and a loss of nutritional value.
- Improper packaging materials: some materials used for storing puree are not resistant to humidity, temperature, or prolonged contact with food. Consequently, migration of unwanted compounds can occur and, in extreme cases, microbiological contamination.
- Poor environmental control: in many operations, monitoring ambient humidity and cleaning the area where products are stored are underestimated. However, excessive moisture combined with uncontrolled temperatures creates the ideal environment for fungi or bacteria.
Puree storage made easy
Nevertheless, the good news is that all these issues can be fixed. Below, we explain the precautions that will keep your raw materials in excellent condition:
- Use aseptic package: to ensure long-term storage use aseptic fruit puree packaging. This packaging technology extends shelf life without refrigeration, while preserving the product’s taste, texture, and nutritional value.
- Control humidity and temperature: consider using industrial dehumidifiers and ensure proper ventilation in your facility. Additionally, the puree storage area should remain clean, dry, and regularly monitored for environmental factors.
- Implement stock rotation: applying a FIFO (First In, First Out) inventory system helps minimize waste and preserve quality by ensuring older batches are used before newer ones.
Finally, another functional approach is to include frozen fruit pulp in your preparations. It guarantees a long shelf life and excellent freshness. However, you must follow controlled defrosting protocols to avoid loss of quality.
There are also products such as extended shelf life fruit pulps, which combine the best of both worlds: storage stability without refrigeration and great taste.
Tips to preserve the freshness of your fruit purees
Do you want to ensure the freshness of your supplies? To do so, follow these best practices for working with top-quality raw materials:
- Check the production date and best-before date of each batch.
- Store products away from sources of heat or direct sunlight.
- Avoid opening containers until you are about to use them.
- Use clean and sanitized equipment when handling the product.
- Monitor the cold chain when freezing food.
- Label products correctly when storing them.
Use reliable services that support your production
Are you looking for a supplier that understands the unique needs of your industry and consistently delivers high-quality products? Hence, Alimentos SAS is your strategic partner.
In their catalogue, you will find a wide variety of fruit pulps made from fresh fruits, carefully selected and processed under strict quality standards.
Alimentos SAS: committed to quality and safety in puree storage
If you need a trusted ally to optimize your processes and improve the quality of your preparations, visit Alimentos SAS. Without a doubt, your business and customers deserve the best. Properstorage is key to extending the shelf life of your ingredients while maintaining their freshness. Follow these recommendations and rely on a trusted, experienced supplier for optimal results.
References:
- Ecoembes. (2023, December 22). Envasado aséptico: innovando en la conservación de alimentos y bebidas.
- Eufic. (2024, August 26). Procesado de alimentos: entender los métodos, ejemplos e importancia.
