Effect of CO2 nanobubbles incorporation on the viscosity reduction of fruit juice concentrate and vegetable oil

Viscosity is one of key parameters to handle liquid food during processing and transport. In this work, viscosities of apple juice concentrate (APJC) and canola oil (CANO) injected with CO2 nanobubbles (NBs), having size ranged approximately from 50 to 850 nm, were investigated. A significant (P <= 0.05) viscosity reduction was observed by up to 18% and 10% in APJC and CANO, respectively, after the NBs injection. When being stored at ambient (23 degrees C) and refrigerated (4 degrees C) temperatures for 7 days, the reduction effect on viscosities of samples treated with NBs tended to diminish in accordance with the growth of NBs' size and the decrease of dissolved CO2 concentration. Besides, the suspension of CO2 NBs insignificantly affected pH, total soluble solid content of APJC, as well as densities of APJC and CANO. These findings suggested that utilisation of NBs can be a feasible mean to reduce viscosity and enhance processing efficiency of food fluids.

Automated summary

The study found that injecting CO2 nanobubbles can significantly reduce the viscosity of apple juice concentrate and canola oil, making it a feasible mean to enhance processing efficiency of food fluids. The reduction effect on viscosities tended to diminish with the growth of NBs' size and the decrease of dissolved CO2 concentration over time.