CO₂-moderate-pressure enhances phytonutrients and prolongs shelf-life of flowable smoothie formulated from quadrable functional vegetables

The effect of non-thermal (HPP and semi-HPP-CO₂) and thermal (flash pasteurization, FP) treatments on phytonutrients of flowable smoothie prepared from quadrable vegetable blends (FQVS) was investigated using multidimensional methods. First, FQVS gained an acceptability sensorial index (85.7%) compared with other formulas. FQVS/semi-HPP-CO₂ showed a greater microbial stability during storage (0–30 d) compared to HPP and FP. Fructose and glucose highly declined than sucrose in all smoothies, where semi-HPP-CO₂ steadily declined this reduction during storage. LC/MS-MS analysis showed that semi-HPP-CO₂ preserved most of FQVS's phytonutrients and their antioxidant effects measured by ORAC and oxidative enzymes inhibition assays. Semi-HPP-CO₂ acquired the lowest apparent viscosity among different FQVS smoothies, showing its post-processing flowability behavior. Most importantly, semi-HPP-CO₂ predicted a reduced power consumption for HPP and reduced the gas emission. In conclusion, blending different vegetables assisted with semi-HPP-CO₂ could be a novel approach to produce storage-stable smoothies with adequate amounts of phytonutrients and sensorial scores.