Comparison of two technological procedures to enrich peeled pears in halves with fructooligosaccharides for later canning as a new functional food

Osmotic treatment and vacuum impregnation have been tried as possible methods to put fructooligosaccharides (FOS) into pears, getting a new functional canned fruit. Vacuum impregnation changes the texture of pears, becoming those pears softer than not treated pears. This change was resolved adding calcium into the impregnation medium. FOS were able to enter into pears with the two treatments and keep stable their concentration during two months of storage period at ambient temperature (22 ± 2 oC) after canning. The best retention of FOS (61%) was for the osmotic treatment. The concentration of FOS in the canned pears and the corresponding syrup was up to 14 times higher using the osmotic treatment than the vacuum infiltration. Furthermore, sensory properties of treated pears containing FOS after two months from canning were similar to sensory properties of not treated canned pears, since FOS do not contribute to the sweetness of the canned pears. These results indicated that canned pears rich in FOS have potential to be a new functional food that can be produced at industrial level.