Articles
EFFECTS OF MINIMAL PROCESSING AND PACKAGING ON VOLATILE COMPOUNDS AND OTHER SENSORY ASPECTS IN CARROTS
Article number
876_36
Pages
269 – 277
Language
English
Abstract
The market for minimally processed fruits and vegetables grows.
Consumers expect fresh products that are processed and packaged to increase convenience and functionality without changing flavour and taste.
Many factors influence the overall quality of minimally processed vegetables; e.g., raw material, processing conditions, packaging material and storage conditions.
The processing steps of washing, trimming, peeling, cutting and packaging of carrots initiate physiological and biochemical changes, which then influence post-harvest quality.
Several studies demonstrate that volatile terpenes play a major role for the aroma and flavour perception of carrots.
However, changes in volatile constituents have largely been ignored in studies with minimally processed carrots.
Carrots were minimally processed and packaged and then analysed for volatile constituents by dynamic headspace sampling.
Trimming and cutting into pieces and then storage for 2 days before processing resulted in a significant loss in mono- and sesquiterpenes as compared to direct processing.
The total terpene content decreased by 59%. Washing in water after cutting and then spin-drying further reduced the volatile content, especially the sesquiterpenes.
These changes in volatile constituents had a significant effect on the sensory quality of the product.
Flavour intensity, carrot flavour, sweetness and juiciness were significantly lower in the cut, washed and spin-dried product as compared to the cut and spin-dried product.
Packaged carrots lost 55 to 65% of the initial terpene content during the first 24 hours of storage at 5°C increasing to >88% at day 8 in carrots packaged in needle-perforated polypropylene film providing an atmosphere of >9% O2 and <13% CO2. In contrast, minimally processed carrots packaged in non-perforated film only lost around 70% of the initial terpene content.
In the non-perforated film the atmospheric composition went down to about 0% O2 and up to about 45% CO2, conditions which were so harmful to the product that it changed the sensory profile.
These findings indicate that gentle processing and optimal packaging technology are essential factors to provide consumers with minimally processed carrot with high terpene flavour quality.
Consumers expect fresh products that are processed and packaged to increase convenience and functionality without changing flavour and taste.
Many factors influence the overall quality of minimally processed vegetables; e.g., raw material, processing conditions, packaging material and storage conditions.
The processing steps of washing, trimming, peeling, cutting and packaging of carrots initiate physiological and biochemical changes, which then influence post-harvest quality.
Several studies demonstrate that volatile terpenes play a major role for the aroma and flavour perception of carrots.
However, changes in volatile constituents have largely been ignored in studies with minimally processed carrots.
Carrots were minimally processed and packaged and then analysed for volatile constituents by dynamic headspace sampling.
Trimming and cutting into pieces and then storage for 2 days before processing resulted in a significant loss in mono- and sesquiterpenes as compared to direct processing.
The total terpene content decreased by 59%. Washing in water after cutting and then spin-drying further reduced the volatile content, especially the sesquiterpenes.
These changes in volatile constituents had a significant effect on the sensory quality of the product.
Flavour intensity, carrot flavour, sweetness and juiciness were significantly lower in the cut, washed and spin-dried product as compared to the cut and spin-dried product.
Packaged carrots lost 55 to 65% of the initial terpene content during the first 24 hours of storage at 5°C increasing to >88% at day 8 in carrots packaged in needle-perforated polypropylene film providing an atmosphere of >9% O2 and <13% CO2. In contrast, minimally processed carrots packaged in non-perforated film only lost around 70% of the initial terpene content.
In the non-perforated film the atmospheric composition went down to about 0% O2 and up to about 45% CO2, conditions which were so harmful to the product that it changed the sensory profile.
These findings indicate that gentle processing and optimal packaging technology are essential factors to provide consumers with minimally processed carrot with high terpene flavour quality.
Authors
M. Edelenbos, M. Balasubramaniam, H.T. Pedersen
Keywords
Daucus carota L., processing effects, packaging effects, sensory evaluation, dynamic headspace analysis, terpenes
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