Assessing the impact of a continuous microwave treatment on almond volatile profile

Insect infestation is a major cause of loss in stored products, traditionally controlled with chemicals. However, concerns about their impact on human health have led to the search for alternative, non-chemical methods. Physical approaches such as cold storage and hot air treatments are effective but expensive. Microwave (MW) technology provides a viable alternative for post-harvest insect control in dried agricultural products. MW heating leaves no harmful chemical residues in food, minimizes environmental impact, kills insects at various developmental stages, and disrupts the reproduction of survivors. This research investigates the effects of six different MW treatment durations and temperatures on the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of almonds, analysed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A comprehensive multivariate statistical analysis was employed to examine the relationship between volatile composition and treatment intensity. Significant linear correlations were observed for 2-pentanone, 1-butanol, and furfural. Orthogonal partial least squares regression (OPLS-R) quantified the treatment-related variance at 26.74 %, which was sufficient to describe treatment intensity variance with a correlation coefficient of 0.9892. The results demonstrate that MW treatment does not significantly alter almond quality, confirming its suitability as a safe, effective, and environmentally friendly disinfestation method.