BRINE RECYCLING - ITS APPLICATION IN CANNED ANCHOVY-STUFFED OLIVES AND OLIVES PACKED IN POUCHES

The reuse of fermentation brines regenerated by ultrafiltration throug h a 4000 daltons cut-off membrane in canned anchovy-stuffed olives and olives packed in pouches has been shown to be possible. The pasteuriz ation of the product packed in plastic pouches gave rise to undesirabl e browning in olives and brines as a consequence of the oxidation of o rthodiphenols, particularly hydroxytyrosol. In contrast, packing regen erated brines in aluminium pouches gave a commercially acceptable prod uct. When olives were packed with regenerated brines with the combined acidity corrected, a slow increase in the pH of brines with time was observed. The cut-off of the ultrafiltration membrane was important in determining the acceptability of anchovy-stuffed olives packed with r egenerated brines. Thus, olives packed with fermentation brines ultraf iltrated through membranes of 200 000 daltons had a poor flavour; but, when membranes with a 4000 daltons pore size were used, the olives we re acceptable.