Conclusion
It is a feasible method to predict the shelf life of non-industrial FWJ by this method, and hence to guarantee non-industrial FWJ being drinking with safety and health, and it might be used in many other fresh juice shelf life predictions.
Objective
The aim of this study was to obtain the time range of non-industrial fresh watermelon juice (FWJ), which is widely used in the catering industry under different storage conditions, with safe-drinkable quality, and the drinking time range of fresh juice with good nutritional quality and sensory quality. Method: The quality of non-industrial FWJ was audited by assessing the shelf life of non-industrial FWJ through microbial safety, nutritional, and sensory quality investigating during 24 h of storage at 4, 25, and 37°C.
Results
According to the microbial safety quality, the safe drinking time of FWJ was within 12, 4, and 4 h when stored at 4, 25, and 37°C, respectively. Based on the nutritional and sensory quality, FWJ was drinking with good quality within 2 h, and with just acceptable quality for no more than 4 h when stored at 4 or 25°C. Electronic nose and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) could effectively distinguish and identify the changes in volatile components in FWJ under different storage conditions.