High-humidity hot air impingement blanching (HHAIB): An emerging technology for tomato peeling

Peeling is an essential operation for tomato processing. A new peeling method, high-humidity hot air impingement blanching (HHAIB) heating technology, was developed as an alternative to the conventional lye and hot-water peeling to eliminate the use of chemicals and the discharge of wastewater. The current work explored the feasibility of HHAIB for tomato peeling. The effects of heating temperature (100–120 °C), relative humidity (20%–40%) and heating time (0–180 s) on the peeling performance were investigated. The optimum treatment was found to be 110 °C heating temperature in combination with 40% of relative humidity and 75 s treatment time, which resulted in lower peeling loss, firmness loss and color deterioration compared with other HHAIB conditions that achieved 100% peelability. The comparative study of optimized HHAIB peeling with conventional lye and hot-water peeling showed that HHAIB peeled tomato obtained lower peeling loss and firmness loss, and higher preservation of phytochemicals, antioxidant capacity and color. In addition, compared with fresh tomatoes, HHAIB processing increased the antioxidant activity, lycopene, and total phenolic content in peeled tomatoes by 16.01%, 10.46%, 12.80%, respectively. The laser scanning confocal microscopy image of fresh tomato skin surface and the scanning electron microscope images of peels and flesh showed that HHAIB caused cracking of the epidermis and melting of the cuticular membrane while reduced the serious damage of flesh.Industrial practicePeeling is a necessary step in tomato processing, which impacts subsequent processing efficiency and product quality. At present, the most common used peeling methods in the industry are hot water or/and alkali peeling, but it induces the loss of water-soluble nutrients, chemical residues and waste liquid treatment. Therefore, the industry urgently needs an alternative peeling technology. The current work shows that HHAIB is a very promising peeling technology as it not only has an excellent peeling performance, but also enhances the preservation of phytochemicals, antioxidant capacity and quality attributes compared to conventional lye and hot-water peeling.     

不同去皮方法对番茄去皮效果和品质的影响

为优化现有番茄去皮工艺,开发新的去皮方法,以去皮难易程度和质量损失评价去皮效果,比较手工去皮、热水去皮、碱液去皮、功率超声去皮和超声与碱液联用去皮对去皮效果和产品质地、颜色、番茄红素提取率、p H值和可滴定酸含量等品质的影响,并结合扫描电子显微镜观察不同去皮方法果皮微观结构。结果表明,功率超声去皮较传统的热水去皮和碱液去皮,去皮难度小,质量损失少,且产品品质良好,番茄红素含量较高,而超声与碱液联用去皮较其他去皮方法虽去皮难度小,但质量损失过高。扫描电子显微镜观察结果表明,功率超声去皮较热水去皮、碱液去皮对果皮角质层的破坏力更大,可能是超声的空化效应使果皮与果肉更易分离,从而降低去皮损失。因此,功率超声去皮是一种潜在的新型环境友好型去皮方法。     

Tomato peeling by ohmic heating: Effects of lye-salt combinations and post-treatments on weight loss,peeling quality and firmness

Ohmic heating without lye has shown promise in tomato peeling; however the use of lye is known to yield high peeled-product quality. This investigation was aimed at determining whether a combination of ohmic heating and low lye concentrations could be synergistic. The results indicated that 0.01/0.5% NaCl/KOH at 2020 V/m was the best condition for tomato peeling in terms of quality, weight loss, and peel cracking time. Further, the treatment showed weight loss that was not significantly different from conventional lye peeling at 7% NaOH and 7% KOH (p < 0.05). NaCl/NaOH mixtures also showed good results, but the quality of products was lower than that using the same concentration, but a higher field strength with NaCl/KOH mixtures. However, no improvement was found using NaCl/CaCl₂ and NaCl/NaOH/CaCl₂ mixtures which were also found difficult to use due to turbidity and cleaning difficulties. A post-peeling treatment by ohmic heating was investigated to improve firmness of ohmically peeled tomatoes. It was found that the best conditions were 2% CaCl₂ solution at a field strength of 403 V/m for 1 and 5 min, and 484 V/m for 5 min.Industrial RelevanceOur earlier work had shown that ohmic heating resulted in peeling of tomatoes that were immersed in salt solutions. The current work details the impact of using small concentrations of lye (either sodium or potassium hydroxide) on peeling loss and quality. Also, we investigate the potential use of calcium chloride, both as peeling solution or as a post-peeling infusion as it impacts firmness of tomatoes. We show that there are ranges of operating conditions which provide yield and quality comparable to conventional lye peeling at far lower lye concentrations, resulting in potentially significant environmental benefit to companies currently using lye peeling.     

Conventional and novel peeling methods for fruits and vegetables: A review

This review explores the effects of various peeling technologies on the peeling performance of fruits and vegetables and peeled product quality. The peeling methods include conventional peeling approaches using hot-water, steam and lye and novel peeling techniques employing infrared radiation heating, ohmic heating and power ultrasound. The working principles, technology characteristics, the major factors affecting the processing efficacy, and limitations of conventional and novel peeling approaches are identified and discussed. Infrared radiation heating, ohmic heating and ultrasound-assist peeling methods have been successfully used to the peeling of tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables. The novel technologies can reduce the use of lye and can improve peeling performance and peeled product quality compared to conventional peeling. The process conditions and food properties are the major determinants affecting the processing efficacy. Future research needs are proposed to scaling-up the technology and exploring other technology used for peeling.Industrial relevance: As a key operation in the fruits and vegetables processing industry, peeling not only directly affects product quality, but also influences the processing cost and the management cost of waste generated by peeling. An unsuitable peeling process may result in low peeling efficiency and quality, high water and energy consumption, and high discharge of waste liquid, leading to the decline of economic benefits and environmental issues. The current work provides important information for selecting suitable peeling methods for high quality and safe products.     

PEELING OF YAMS FOR PROCESSING

White yam (Dioscorea rotundata) lye or flame peeled were evaluated for quality characteristics and peeling loss in comparison to hand peeling. Lye concentration (15–20% at 98°C with a dipping time 3–5 min) effectively removed the histological peel as the flame method, (flame temperature was 857°C and exposure time was 9 min) with a peeling loss of 4% which was significantly lower than for hand peeling. Fresh yams were more readily peeled by these methods than stored yams. The yams peeled by lye or flame when cooked were quite acceptable as hand peeled yams. The adaptability of these methods for industrial scale up are examined.     

FREEZE PEELING IMPROVES QUALITY OF TOMATOES

SUMMARY— A process of peeling tomatoes using low temperature-short time freezing was perfected. Liquid nitrogen (BP-196°C was used as the refrigerant for freezing the skin and only a thin layer of cells just beneath the skin. The fruit was immediately thawed, after which the skin was quickly and easily removed from the fruit. Liquid nitrogen-peeled samples were evaluated for loss of peel and trim, as well as lycopene and carotene in the peeling process and these losses compared with samples peeled in boiling water. The losses in peel and trim were reduced by approximately 50%, and significantly less lycopene was lost by nitrogen peeling. The peel and trim of fall tomatoes had a greater amount of lycopene and carotene than spring tomatoes. The nitrogen-peeled samples were canned without additives, with sodium chloride and with calcium chloride added and compared with samples peeled with boiling water. There was a decrease in the percentage of broken fruit in the canned tomatoes peeled by liquid nitrogen. Titratable acidity and °Brix were higher and pH was lower in these samples. Color of the homogenized canned product was not statistically different; however, the nitrogen-peeled tomatoes had a better visual color. The calcium chloride added-nitrogen-peeled samples possessed a higher degree of firmness than the comparably treated boiling-water-peeled samples, indicating that the nitrogen-peeled tomatoes utilized the added calcium to a greater extent in firming.     

PEELABILITY AND YIELD OF PROCESSING TOMATOES BY STEAM OR LYE

Approximately 25% of the processed tomatoes grown in California are made into value‐added foods such as whole peeled and diced tomatoes. Peel removal is the first step in this process, and it must be optimized for both quality and yield. The effect of peeling conditions on tomato cultivars Halley 3155 and Heinz 8892 (H 8892) was evaluated. Considerable texture loss results from peeling; however, firmness was greater for cv. Halley 3155 than for cv. H 8892 regardless of peeling conditions utilized. Peeling under low steam pressures (12 psig) was insufficient to adequately peel either cultivar. While high pressure steam (18 psig) was more efficient at peel removal, increasing vacuum level from 20 in. to 24 in. did not improve peelability of either cultivar. Because cultivar affected peelability and yield, specific tomato cultivars should be evaluated and directed to either paste or whole peeled and diced tomatoes as appropriate.     

Dry-peeling of Tomato by Infrared Radiative Heating: Part I. Model Development

Infrared (IR) dry-peeling of tomatoes has emerged as a nonchemical alternative to conventional peeling methods using hot lye or steam. Successful peel separation induced by IR radiation requires the delivery of a sufficient amount of thermal energy onto the tomato surface in a very short duration. The objective of this study was to understand the transient heat transfer phenomena during IR dry-peeling by developing a computer simulation model. Modeled tomatoes with realistic shapes and different sizes were employed to predict the temperature distributions on their surface and interior during a typical 60 s IR heating. IR radiation was postulated as a mathematically gray-diffuse radiation problem based on the enclosure theory. Radiation heat transfer model combining heat conduction and convection was solved numerically in COMSOL by using a finite element scheme. Changes of tomato thermal properties and phase change of water inside tomato tissues due to temperature increase were considered in the model to improve the prediction accuracy. The developed model can further be used to study the effects of various engineering parameters on IR heating performance relevant to tomato peeling quality and efficiency. Numerical modeling of the heat transfer mechanism provides in-depth understanding of the rapid surface heating characteristics of IR in the tomato dry-peeling process.     

Microwave-assisted infrared dry-peeling of beetroot: Peeling performance,product quality,and cell integrity

The use of low power-short time microwave (MW) treatment before infrared (IR) heating could help improve the peeling performance of beetroot. MW-assisted IR peeling (MWIR) and IR peeling of beetroot were investigated and compared with the conventional hot-lye peeling method. Also, the effects of these peeling methods on the quality and microstructure were evaluated. Hot-lye peeling at 95 °C for 40 s and 60 s was used as control. Results showed that MW-assisted IR peeling at power 640 W and heating time 7 min produced samples with the highest peelability (99.4%), lowest peel thickness (0.075 mm), and peel remaining (0.8%), lower peeling loss (4.23 g), and better peeling easiness when compared with lye peeling and IR peeling. IR peeling alone produced samples with the lowest peeling loss (2.87 g) and surface colour change, and the highest vitamin C retention (75.32%) than MW-assisted IR and lye peeling respectively. The product microstructure for the different peeling methods showed cellular distortion as a result of thermal expansion. MW pretreatment shows a promising potential to further develop the IR dry-peeling method, to replace the conventional hot lye chemical peeling.     

DEFECTS AND PEELABILITY OF PROCESSING TOMATOES

Peeling is one of the first operations in the manufacture of whole peeled and diced tomatoes, and the peelability of processing tomatoes is significantly affected by the presence of various tomato defects, in particular yellow eye and blossom‐end rot. Tomato maturity also impacts both the percentage of peeled fruit and yield. Immature fruits are typically undercolored and small in size. Sunburned regions on the tomato surface are difficult to peel as well. In this study, we determined the impact of 24 selected tomato defects on tomato peelability and yield of whole peeled tomatoes. There are potential advantages to sorting to remove selected tomato defects early in the process.     

Fine physicochemical,structural, rheological and gelling properties of tomato pectin under infrared peeling technique

To protect the pulp quality, the effect of infrared peeling on the physicochemical, structural, rheological, and gelling properties of tomato pectin was investigated using newly developed catalytic infrared peeling equipment and compared with manual, hot-water and lye peeling. Compared to manually peeled pectin, the results showed that hot-water peeling reduced the pectin yield by 13.19% but significantly increased the pectin's Z-average radius of gyration (R_g) and hydrodynamic radius (R_H). And the pectin gel had excessive hardness. Lye peeling reduced the pectin yield by 30.43%, the degree of esterification (DE) by 25.97%, R_H by 7.8 nm and R_g by 2.9 nm. And the pectin gel had the worst water-holding capacity and texture. The yield and DE of pectin (IPP) after infrared peeling only decreased by 3.88% and 0.9%. IPP exhibited moderate physicochemical, structural, rheological, and gelling properties, which was the closest to manually peeled pectin. IPP gel showed steady viscoelasticity and high water-holding capacity (96.71%). Conclusively, the infrared peeling technique can provide better pulp quality and is sustainable.     

Effect of peeling and heating on carotenoid content and antioxidant activity of tomato and tomato-virgin olive oil systems

The effects of peeling and laboratory- or industrial-scale heating on carotenoid content and radical scavenging activity of tomato and tomato-virgin olive oil mixtures were investigated. A decrease in carotenoid content was detected only after long heating times. Such a decrease was lower for the unpeeled than for the peeled tomatoes. No change, either in lycopene concentration or in the chain-breaking activity of the lipophilic fractions, was observed when both laboratory- and industrial-scale heating treatments were performed on peeled-tomato puree containing 5% virgin olive oil. The aqueous fractions, including high-molecular-weight brown polymers formed as a consequence of heating, were also characterized for color, elementary composition and antioxidant activity.     

Behavior of pesticides in tomatoes during commercial and home preparation

Monitoring of pesticide residues in Egyptian tomatoes and its products was studied. The average contents of HCB, lindane, dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide and DDT derivatives were detected at levels 0.009, 0.003, 0.006, 0.008 and 0.083 mg/kg, respectively. On the other hand, the levels of dimethoate, profenofos and pirimiphos-methyl were 0.461, 0.206 and 0.114 mg/kg, respectively. In ketchup and paste samples, most organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticide residues were not detectable. The distribution patterns of pesticide residues within the cuticular and subcuticular tissues in tomatoes were also studied. The skin samples were found to contain the highest levels of HCB, lindane, dieldrin and DDT derivatives. The investigation also indicated that washing with water and/or detergent solution were necessary to decrease the intake of pesticide residues. Freezing, as well as juicing and peeling, were necessary to remove pesticide residues in the skin. Cooking of tomatoes (including processing tomato to paste) helped to eliminate most pesticide residues from contaminated tomatoes. ©     

Evaluation of Lye and Steam Peeling Using Four Processing Tomato Cultivars

Fruit of four eastern tomato cultivars (cvs) were peeled using either high pressure steam or a lye bath under commercial conditions. Percent yield of whole fruit and finished product quality were determined. Yield of 5 sec steam-peeled fruit was 4.1% greater than lye-peeled fruit; no cvs differences were detected. Quantity of blossom-end peel was not affected by peel treatment, but differences among cvs were shown. Steam-peeled tomatoes averaged 6.2 cm² and lye-peeled < 1 cm² total peel/can. There were no differences among treatments or cvs in sensory color scores. Differences in surface bL/a values among cvs at the equator region of fruit were found. Although recovery was greater for steam-peeled than for lye-peeled fruit, canned product quality was better for lye-peeled fruit.     

Understanding Tomato Peelability

Approximately 75% of all tomatoes in the United States are consumed as processed and 25% as fresh. One of the first steps during processing involves removal of the peel and, unfortunately, more than 25% of the fruits (as measured by total weight) can be lost due to overpeeling. Additionally, conventional peeling applications have a negative environmental impact. Given the great potential economic benefits, many scientists have conducted research to attempt optimizing or predicting peeling performance when processing tomatoes. The literature regarding tomato peelability is contradictory in many cases; and several topics have been subject to ample debate over the years. Divergent conclusions are probably not due to faulty investigations, but rather to the extreme variability found among tomato cultivars, the effect of growing seasons, and maybe even the effect of climatic conditions on the day of harvest or during transportation to the processing plants. This review provides an in‐depth background needed for a better understanding of tomato physiology, maturation, and composition, as these could possibly influence the ease of peeling or “peelability.” The research studies directly involved with peeling tomatoes and predicting peelability are discussed in this paper as well. Different peeling methods, peeling grading scales, and fruit tagging procedures are presented, as well as experiments evaluating the effect that fruit defects, maturity, growing conditions, and other factors can have on the ease of peeling. Novel approaches for peelability prediction by means of spectroscopic and magnetic resonance technology are also discussed in this review.     

CAN WE PREDICT PEELING PERFORMANCE OF PROCESSING TOMATOES?

Tomato processors are increasingly interested in being able to predict whether tomatoes will peel well, and therefore, yield high‐value processed tomatoes. We describe two statistical models for peeling applied to multiple years of data. One model is appropriate for perfect or defect‐free tomatoes, and the second model is valid for the normal population of tomatoes obtained following mechanical harvesting. The ability to peel perfect tomatoes was significantly affected by exposure of tomatoes to temperatures greater than 100F, by fruit weight and by pericarp wall thickness. The peelability of a normal population of tomatoes was influenced by tomato weight and width as well as degree‐days and exposure to temperatures greater than 90F. Thickness of the pericarp walls and red layer positively affected the peelability of normal tomatoes. The ability to predict tomato peelability using statistical models may improve the quality of processed tomatoes and may result in more efficient commercial peeling operations.     

Effects of infrared radiation heating on peeling performance and quality attributes of clingstone peaches

Salinity and wastewater disposal problems associated with the conventional wet-lye method for peeling clingstone peaches result in considerable negative environment impacts. The efficacy of using infrared (IR) heating as an alternative method for peach peel removal was investigated to eliminate the use of water and chemicals. Peaches sorted into three size categories were double-sided heated under IR with three emitter gaps for a range of heating times from 90 s to 180 s. Wet-lye peeling was used as a control. Results showed that 180 s IR heating for medium sized peaches under an emitter gap of 90 mm yielded 84 mm²/100 mm² peelability and 90 g/100 g peeling yield, produced peeled products with comparable firmness and color to wet-lye peeled peaches. Surface temperature increased rapidly (> 00 °C) during IR heating whereas the flesh temperature at 16 mm beneath skin remained relatively low (<45 °C). Thermal expansion of cell walls and collapse of cellular layers adjacent to skins were found in IR heated peaches and differed from the micro-structural changes observed in lye heated samples, indicating their mechanistic difference. Promoting uniform and rapid surface heating is essential to further develop IR heating as a non-chemical method for peach peeling.     

EFFECT OF TOMATO DECAY PROPORTION ON ERGOSTEROL LEVEL AND SOME TOMATO PULP PROPERTIES

There is a need to develop a chemical method to determine the amount of decayed tomatoes used to produce tomato products. Tomato pulp samples produced from surface decayed tomatoes as sound, 30, 60 and 100% were tested for pH, brix, titrable acidity, Hunter L, a and b, Howard Mold Count (HMC) and ergosterol values. Tomato pomace for each decay portion was tested for HMC and ergosterol. Ergosterol analysis was carried out by high‐pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Decay proportion was linearly correlated with HMC (r = 0.97) and ergosterol (r = 0.96) in pulp samples but not to pH and acidity. Only ergosterol measurement was applicable in tomato pomace and correlated well (r = 0.95) with the decay proportions. In general, the color values of the samples produced from 100% decayed tomatoes were high compared with the others. The measurement of ergosterol has the potential to be used for the quality assessment of tomato products made from Red Top tomatoes.     

An Investigation of Some Important Storage Parameters in Acidified Bulk Storage of Tomatoes

Acidified bulk storage of tomatoes at a pH of approximately 1.3 was used to store whole tomatoes without spoilage for up to 4 months. Storage treatments of time and temperature lead to concurrent off flavor and brown color development which was presumed to be at least partially due to container oxygen permeability problems. Best quality in this study was found after storage at lowered temperatures. When unpeeled tomatoes were stored, they softened during storage and did not remain whole upon subsequent peeling. Heat peeled whole tomatoes stored in tomato juice gave the best storage quality of any treatment combinations used. The major problem experienced with this storage method was non-microbial chemical deterioration of product quality after storage.     

Characterization of the Red Layer and Pericarp of Processing Tomato using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract: The characteristics of tomato pericarp are closely associated with peelabililty, an important quality attribute of processing tomatoes. Different types of tissue exist in the pericarp of tomato. The outermost region of the pericarp, the red layer, is removed with the skin during peeling. This study investigated the morphological features and tissue properties of red layer and pericarp for 3 processing tomato cultivars using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The red layer can be visualized in MR images with T₂ weighting, indicating the red layer has different properties compared to the rest of the pericarp region. Tomatoes were imaged with a set of MRI sequences with signal intensity dependent on different water proton properties. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the statistical features revealed clustering of fruit by cultivar. The spatial distribution of cultivars in the PCA score plot followed their rank of peeling performance. MRI demonstrated potential as a nondestructive method to characterize tomato pericarp and evaluate the peelability of processing tomatoes. Practical Application: Peelability of tomatoes affects the quality of value‐added whole peel and diced tomato products. The properties of the pericarp of tomato are directly related to the peelability of tomatoes. MRI provided a fast and nondestructive method to characterize the properties of tomato pericarp. The result of this work gives insight into the correlation between tomato pericarp characteristics and peelability.