Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #115171
Title: TOMATO FLAVOR AND AROMA QUALITY AS AFFECTED BY STORAGE TEMPERATURE

Author
item MAUL, FERNANDO - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item SARGENT, STEVEN - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item SIMS, CHARLES - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item Baldwin, Elizabeth - Liz
item BALABAN, MURAT - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item HUBER, DONALD - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/2/2000
Publication Date: 10/1/2000
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Tomatoes are stored at refrigerated temperatures to slow down ripening during transport. The effect of low temperature storage on tomato flavor was investigated in this study. Stored tomatoes were served to a group of people trained in tomato flavor analysis. Part of these fruit were also analyzed for aroma compounds, sugars and acids. It was found that chilling gthe fruit reduced ripe aroma, sweetness and general tomato flavor while increasing sourness and reducing sweetness. This was supported by measured changes in aroma compounds, sugars and acids.

Technical Abstract: Studies were conducted to describe flavor and aroma changes in ripe tomatoes stored at 10, 12.5 and 20C. Fruit stored for 2 days below 20C were rated by trained sensory panelists to be lower (P<0.05) in ripe aroma, tomato flavor, and higher in off-flavors, compared to those stored at 20C. Fruit stored at 5C for 4 days were rated lower in ripe aroma, sweetness, tomato flavor and higher in sourness than fruit stored at 20C. Fruit stored at 10 and 12.5C were lower in ripe aroma and sweetness than those at 20C after 12 days storage. Electronic nose analysis separated tomato samples from all temperature and storage treatments while reductions in important aroma volatiles and other chemical composition analyses concurred with sensory descriptor ratings.