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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317539
Title: The impact of kitchen and food service preparation practices on the volatile aroma profile in ripe tomatoes: Effects of refrigeration and blanching

Author
item WANG, LIBIN - Nanjing Agricultural University
item Baldwin, Elizabeth - Liz
item YU, ZHIFANG - Nanjing Agricultural University
item Bai, Jinhe

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/2015
Publication Date: 9/23/2015
Citation: Wang, L., Baldwin, E.A., Yu, Z., Bai, J. 2015. The impact of kitchen and food service preparation practices on the volatile aroma profile in ripe tomatoes: Effects of refrigeration and blanching. HortScience. 50(9):1358-1364.

Interpretive Summary: Flavor loss in tomatoes has been focused on the abusive industry procedures, but little is reported on the improper kitchen and food service practices. This study provides strong evidence that kitchen and food service practices, storage of fruit in a refrigerator or a short blanching before cooking substantially influenced volatile profile and reduced key tomato aroma contributors in full ripe tomato fruit. Low temperature storage resulted in a more severe impact than hot water blanching, especially in the reduction of carbon 6 aldehydes.

Technical Abstract: Both refrigeration and blanching of red stage tomatoes are common practices in Japan home kitchens and in food service operations. However, little is reported on the impact of such practices on aroma profiles in tomato fruits. In this study, ‘FL 47’ tomatoes at red stage were dipped in 50 °C hot water for 5 min or exposed to 5 °C for 4 days to simulate consumer handling of tomato in home kitchens. Of the 42 volatile compounds detected, refrigeration generally suppressed production of aldehydes, alcohols, oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds, and nitrogen- and oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds, including the following abundant and/or important volatiles: pentanal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal, hexanal, cis-3-hexenal, trans-2-hexenal, 2-phenylacetaldehyde, pentanol, 3-methylbutanol, 2-phenylethanol, 1-penten-3-one, geranial, and geranylacetone. On the other hand, the production of aldehydes, alcohols, hydrocarbons, oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds, and nitrogen- and oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds were reduced by blanching, associated with low concentrations of 2-methylbutanal, pentanal, cis-3-hexenal, trans-2-hexenal, 2-phenylacetaldehyde, pentanol, 2-methylbutanol, and 2-phenylethanol. These results indicate that a short blanching or refrigeration of tomatoes substantially impacts tomato aroma quality, and are not recommended.