Kinetics of thermal softening of potato tissue (cv. Monalisa) by water heating

The temperature dependence of rheological parameters as firmness indicators for potato tissue was determined within the temperature range 50-100 °C using four different objective methods. The rate of thermal softening of potato tissue by water treatment at 50 °C, 90 °C, and 100 °C was consistent with one pseudo first-order kinetic mechanism, while at 70 °C and 80 °C the rate of softening was consistent with two simultaneous pseudo first-order kinetic mechanisms. Kinetic theory was suitable to detect an increase of firmness through heating at 60 °C, mainly between 20 min and 40 min, presumably by pectinesterase activation. This study shows that two substrates S_a and S_b may be involved in providing firmness to potato tissue at 70 °C and 80 °C. For these temperatures, mechanism 1 is more probably due to gelatinization and light cooking, whereas mechanism 2 is more likely to represent the changes of the pectic substances in the cell wall and interlamellar region. At 90 °C and 100 °C the gelatinization process was fast and therefore the simple mechanism fitted presumably reflects the degree of solubilization of the pectic substances. At 50 °C and 60 °C there was practically no gelatinization, so that the simple mechanism fitted presumably represented incipient solubilization of pectic material. In water heating, gelatinization contributes less than the cell wall structure to potato tissue firmness on the basis of either kinetic parameters or microscopic observations. Maximum breaking compression force and modulus of rigidity were the most suitable rheological parameters for studying the softening of potato tissue in water heating.     

Kinetics of softening of potato tissue by temperature fluctuations in frozen storage

 Pre-packed and unpacked potato tissues were frozen, subjected to temperature fluctuations and then thawed. Temperature fluctuations ranged from –24  °C to –18  °C and from –18  °C to –6  °C. The number of fluctuacions ranged from 0 (that is to say, only freezing and thawing processes) to 32 at each above fluctuation range, simulating practical frozen storage conditions. Compression, shear and tension tests were carried out to measure the extent of structural damage caused to the potato tissue. Plots of log (rheological parameters and moisture content) versus number of temperature fluctuations showed two distinct regions; the first was a rectilinear plot with a steep negative slope up to four fluctuations. The second was also a rectilinear plot with a shallow negative slope beyond four fluctuations. For higher number of fluctuations, most of rheological parameters reached a value almost constant. These two-stage softening rate curves are consistent with the biphasic model and qualitatively similar to those for thermal softening of the vegetables. This study shows that two substrates S_a and S_b may be involved in providing firmness to potato tissue in freezing and frozen storage conditions. By analogy with earlier works, the term "frozen storage firmness" can be proposed to describe the amount of firmness that is resistant to degradation by freezing with temperature fluctuations during frozen storage and final thawing of the product. Received: 30 April 1999     

Thermal and Calcium Pretreatment Affects Texture, Pectinesterase and Pectic Substances of Frozen Sweet Cherries

Freezing causes loss of turgidity and firmness in sweet cherries. Thermal pretreatment at 50°C for 10 min followed by immersion in 100 mM CaCl₂ and thermal pretreatment at 70°C/2 min with or without immersion in 100 mM CaCl₂ prevented freezing-induced loss of firmness. Thermal pretreatments increased the pectin fraction soluble in EDTA, reduced the degree of pectin esterification, and increased both the concentration of divalent cations in the cell wall and the pectinesterase activity bounded to the cell wall. Immersion in CaCl₂ increased the concentration of Ca²⁺ cations in the cell wall and enhanced the effect of thermal pretreatments on pectinesterase activity.     

Canning Quality Evaluation of Pinto and Navy Beans

Thermal processing of pinto and navy beans at 121.1°C for 16 or 14 min in a still retort gave similar sterilization value (F_o= 10) as the processing at 115.6°C for 45 min. The 121.1°C/16 or 14 min process produced beans with greater firmness than the 115.6°C/45 min process. The addition of CaCl₂ and EDTA improved firmness and color of canned beans. Calcium chloride also reduced clumping and splitting of the canned beans. Sensory evaluation showed that the acceptability of canned beans was reduced when CaCl₂ was increased up to 10 mM. High correlation between firmness and soluble pectin in various bean cultivars implied that soluble pectin content could be used as a parameter for screening bean cultivars with desirable firmness.     

Texture and Histological Structure of Carrots Frozen at a Programmed Rate and thawed in an Electrostatic Field

To investigate the most suitable rate of freezing and method for thawing, raw and blanched carrots were frozen with LN₂ (freezing rate: –5°or -2°C/min, final temp: -30°C) using a program freezer (PF), or were frozen using conventional freezers (F: -80°C, -30°and -20°C). Then, they were thawed in five different ways: electrostatic thawing (ET, -3°C, 17 hr); -3°C, 17 hr; 5°C, 17 hr; 20°C, 30 min; 100°C, 3 min. Firmness of thawed carrots and amount of undamaged tissues by LM and TEM observations were greatest to least: PF -5°C/min < PF-2°C/ min <-80°C CF<-30°CF<-20°CF, and ET ≧-3°< 5°< 20°< 100°C, respectively. Results suggest the optimum rate of freezing was -5°C/ min. The frozen disks were defrosted comparatively fast even at -3°by ET. Drip, cell damage and softening of disks were prevented by ET.     

Low Temperature Blanching Affects Firmness and Rehydration of Dried Cauliflower Florets

Cauliflower florets were blanched at 55, 60, 65, and 70°C, held without cooling for 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 min, blanched again at 100°and then dried in a hot air dehydrater. The coefficient for the rate of rehydration (?) was calculated using a diffusion model. Rehydrated samples were divided into two equal parts, one part was boiled in water and the other was uncooked. Firmness of rehydrated samples was measured by back extrusion. Blanching cauliflower between 55°and 70°before dehydration caused a substantial increase in extrusion forces after rehydration. Cooking the rehydrated cauliflower decreased firmness of all samples. However, the degree of softening caused by cooking was proportionally less for the low temperature blanch treatments than for the controls.     

Effect of temperature, pressure and calcium soaking pre-treatments and pressure shift freezing on the texture and texture evolution of frozen green bell peppers (Capsicum annuum)

The firmness of green bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) was studied under different processing conditions. Thermal texture degradation kinetics of pepper tissue between 75 and 95 °C could be accurately described by a fractional conversion model. The firmness of pre-processed pepper increased when the samples were submitted to several heat, pressure, and combinations of heat/pressure and calcium soaking pre-treatments. Pre-heating at 55 °C during 60 min and mild heat/high-pressure treatments (200 MPa at 25 °C, 15 min) yielded the best results, which were further improved when combined with calcium soaking. These pre-treatments significantly slowed down thermal texture degradation of pepper at 90 °C, a typical temperature used for pepper blanching prior to freezing. The above-mentioned pre-treated samples showed a significant reduction in firmness when frozen by regular freezing at 0.1 MPa. The same samples showed no changes in firmness when frozen by high-pressure shift freezing at 200 MPa. When freezing was carried out by high-pressure shift and after frozen storage (−18 °C) for 2.5 months, pressure pre-treated pepper showed a better retention of texture than thermal pre-treated pepper.     

FIRMNESS OF THERMAL PROCESSED ONION AS AFFECTED BY BLANCHING

The pectin methyl esterase enzyme system was shown to be involved in firmness of thermally treated onion in the temperature range 50–70C. Thermal softening of onion at 90 and 100C showed an initial steep negative slope with a shallow negative slope at longer heating time. Low‐temperature blanching at 70C was effective to maintain firm onion tissue exposed to excessive heating. Physical strength of onion was substantially diminished when exposed to a commercial sterilization condition where F₀, extent of thermal sterilization, was 3, and/or more. Blanching in water for 120 min at 70C resulted in a maximum value for the firmness of commercially sterilized onion. Firmness of onion, blanched in calcium brine at a concentration range of 0.0–1.0% (wt) prior to heat treatment, decreased with increasing severity of thermal sterilization treatment. At F₀ = 6, blanching in 0.5% calcium brine resulted in maximum firmness of thermally sterilized onion, approximately 70% of that of raw onion.     

Development of Muscle Thermal Rigorometer and Characterization of Heat-induced Muscle Shortening of Tilapia

A muscle thermal rigorometer was constructed, allowing muscle shortenings induced by dynamic heating or isothermal aging to be monitored. Operating isothermally like a traditional rigorometer at 10 °C, postmortem dorsal muscle shortening (S_10°C) developing from 0% to 10% of its initial length in corresponding to RI_fiber along fiber‐direction developing from 0% to 100% within 16 h was monitored for freshwater tilapia. Monitoring meat cooking in the dynamic heating mode, heat‐induced shortenings could be observed for all muscle samples possessing different degrees of rigor induced by 10°C aging. The heat‐induced shortening (S_dynamic) plus its 10°C aging shortening (S_10°C) for each sample was the same, S_overall= S_10°C+ S_dynamic= 10%. Their heat‐induced shortening peak temperatures (Ts) from 30°C to 48°C were inversely correlated with the sample RI_fiber from 0% to near 100%. These findings together with an additional calcium/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) model studies showed that the ATPase related myofibrillar contractile system was responsible for these low‐temperature cooking shortenings, which along with Ts values could thus be adopted as new rigor indices.     

Firmness Retention in Pickled Peppers as Affected by Calcium Chloride, Acetic Acid, and Pasteurization

Critical factors influencing firmness retention in pickled peppers were studied. The addition of CaCl, (0.2%, w/v, optimum) to whole, pickled‘Red Cherry’peppers increased firmness retention as determined by a puncture test using an Instron Universal Testing Machine. Pasteurization reduced firmness in the absence, but not in the presence, of added CaCl₂. CaCl₂ significantly (P ≤0.01) reduced softening during storage of‘Red Cherry’peppers at higher temperatures (36.7, 46.7°C), and resulted in a slight increase in firmness at 26.7°C. CaCI₂ did not significantly (P≥ 0.05) improve firmness retention in‘Jala-peno’peppers, but resulted in greater uniformity of firmness. CaCI, also improved firmness retention in pickled cucumbers. Firmness of unpasteurized peppers and cucumbers was not influenced significantly (P ≥0.05) by acetic acid concentrations of 2, 3 or 4%.     

Cell wall modifications during cooking of potatoes and sweet potatoes

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L) tissue, when cooked at 70 °C to activate β‐amylase and break down starch, takes on a distinctive firm, brittle texture and does not show the cell separation that occurs in, for example, cooked potato (Solanum tuberosum L). Similar cooking conditions increase firmness in other plants by activating pectin methyl esterase which de‐esterifies pectic polysaccharides and protects them from thermal depolymerisation. We therefore isolated cell walls from both potatoes and sweet potatoes cooked at 70 °C and 100 °C and determined the remaining degree of methyl esterification of their pectins. Pectins from both species were demethylated to a similar extent at 70 °C and 100 °C. Since cooking sweet potato at 100 °C induced cell separation and softening, it is concluded that β‐amylase is rapidly inactivated at that temperature and swollen starch distends and separates the cells, whereas the firm texture obtained by cooking that species at 70 °C is not the result of pectin demethylation but is caused by the breakdown of starch to oligomers that can escape from the cell. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Texture and Rehydration of Dehydrated Carrots as Affected by Low Temperature Blanching

Whole carrots were blanched at four temperatures for five time periods, then blanched again for 6 min at 100°C. A control sample was blanched 8 min at 100°C. All samples were then dehydrated. Very slight differences in rehydration ratios between treatments were observed. The 50°C blanch gave a firmness equal to or less than the control for all blanch times. The carrots blanched at 55°C for 15, 30 and 45 min were less firm than the control while the 60 and 90 min blanched samples were firmer than the control. The 60 and 65°C blanched samples had significantly firmer texture than the control when blanch time was > 30 min. Blanching carrots for 45 min at 65°C increased firmness of the rehydrated product by 51% for uncooked and 27% for cooked.     

Thermal processing enhances anti‐radical activity and reduces pro‐oxidant activity in water‐soluble fraction of selected Allium vegetables

Both the pro‐ and antioxidant activities were found in water‐soluble components contained in onion, leek and garlic samples, and effects of thermal treatment on such activities were investigated. Raw vegetable extracts were prepared by squeezing vegetable homogenates followed by centrifugation at 4 °C. The extracts were subjected to thermal treatment at 75 or 100 °C for 30 and 60 min. The water‐soluble extracts were assayed for antiradical activity using both a chemical and a cellular system. Heating onion and leek extracts at 100 °C for 60 min, and garlic extract at 100 °C for 30 min, yielded strong antioxidant components that are able to scavenge free radicals, in either system, significantly. Measuring total phenolic content by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, we observed that thermal treatment significantly decreased the phenolic contents in leek and garlic extract. In addition, we estimated pro‐oxidant activities in the vegetable extracts, using reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐sensitive 2′,7′‐dichlorofluorescin diacetate; we found that extracts of raw alliums have strong ROS activity, and that thermal treatment destroyed most of the ROS activity present in the raw extracts. These findings indicate that thermal processing enhanced the nutritional value of alliums by increasing the total antioxidant activity, and reducing the pro‐oxidant elements. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Controlled Atmosphere and Ethylene Effects on Quality of California Canning Apricots and Clingstone Peaches

Storage at 2% O₂ plus 5% CO₂ at 1.1°C maintained higher flesh firmness and lower pH and retarded decay more effectively than air storage of immature (M1) and over-mature (M3) Patterson and Tilton apricot fruits. CA storage of fruits picked at the optimum maturity stage (M2) produced little benefit over air storage, however. -Treatment with 100 ppm ethylene for 48 hours accelerated softening and color change at 20°C compared to ripening in air and may potentially be used to prepare immature apricot fruits for canning in the shortest possible time. Large differences in storageability and canned quality following storage were found among the five clingstone peach cultivars tested. Loadel and Carolyn: peaches, if in sound condition at harvest, can be stored for up to 4 wk under 2% O₂+ 5% CO₂ at 1.1°C. Andross, Klamt and Halford peaches should be stored for shorter storage periods only. Fruits ripened at 20°C with ethylene (100 ppm for 48 hr) were similar to those ripened without it in appearance, texture, and flavor.     

Relationship Between Degree of Pectin Methylation and Tissue Firmness of Cucumber Pickles

The relationship between pectin methylation and tissue firmness was examined in cucumber pickles exposed to pre-brining and brining treatments. Tissue treated with CaCl₂ prior to or during brining, blanched before brining or held at 2°C during brine storage resisted softening. Although all treatments reduced the degree of esterification (DE) of pectic substances, less demethylation occurred in treatments that protected against softening. Join point regression analysis of the data indicated that maximum firmness of mesocarp tissue was attained when the DE of pectins was 12.3 ± 1.2 or greater. Firmness declined concomitantly when the DE declined below 12.3 ± 1.2. Methods that protect against excessive demethylation of pectins appear to be important in retarding softening of cucumber pickle tissue during storage in brine.     

Improving Storability of Fresh Strawberries with Controlled Release Chlorine Dioxide in Perforated Clamshell Packaging

Fresh strawberries have short shelf life because of rapid weight loss, softening, and decay. The objective of this research was to study the response of strawberries to ClO₂ when applied to the fruit using a controlled release pad. Four experiments were conducted over 2011 to 2013. Strawberries were packed in perforated commercial clamshells, with or without ClO₂ treatments, and stored at 1 and 6 °C for up to 14 days and at 10 and 20 °C for up to 7 days. The effect of ClO₂ on strawberries was assessed by measuring decay incidence, weight loss, firmness, volatile composition, and stomate activity during storage. Chlorine dioxide treatments induced closing of stomata, markedly slowed weight loss and softening, and reduced decay incidence of strawberry fruit at 10 °C or lower temperatures, but not at 20 °C. Fruit flavor profiles were not affected by ClO₂ treatment.     

Effect of hot air treatment on quality and ripening of Chinese bayberry fruit

BACKGROUND: Postharvest decay and softening are the major factors limiting the extension of storage life of Chinese bayberry fruit. To evaluate the effects of hot air treatment (HAT) on Chinese bayberry fruit, fruits were stored at 2 °C after exposure to 20 °C (control), 40 °C (HAT₄₀), 45 °C (HAT₄₅) or 50 °C (HAT₅₀) hot air for 3 h. The effects of HAT on firmness, disease incidence, soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), respiration, ethylene production, pectic substances and activities of pectinmethylesterase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PG) were examined. RESULTS: HAT inhibited decrease in firmness, SSC and TA and retarded increase in disease incidence, while it promoted decrease in respiration rate and ethylene production. HAT suppressed the activities of PME and PG, which resulted in delaying the depolymerisation of chelator‐soluble and alkali‐soluble pectic substances and reducing the increase in water‐soluble pectic substances compared with control fruits. CONCLUSION: The present findings show that HAT can maintain postharvest quality and delay ripening of Chinese bayberry fruit and suggest that HAT could be considered for commercial use to extend the postharvest life of Chinese bayberry fruit. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Thermal inactivation of hepatitis A virus in suspension and in dried mussels (Mytilus edulis)

We examined the effects of three different temperatures (60, 85 and 100 °C) and durations of time (1 min at 100  ° C to 30 min at 60  ° C) on hepatitis A virus (HAV) in suspension and dried mussels (Mytilus edulis). In suspension, 3.61, 4.48, 5.06 and 5.66 log₁₀ tissue culture infectious dose (TCID)₅₀/mL were reduced by 60  ° C for 5 min, 60  ° C for 15 min, 60  ° C for 30 min and 85  ° C for 3 min, respectively. In dried mussels, 1.34, 1.94, 3.16, 2.36, 3.53 and 4.38 log₁₀TCID₅₀/mL were reduced by 60  ° C for 5 min, 60  ° C for 15 min, 60  ° C for 30 min, 85  ° C for 3 min, 85  ° C for 6 min and 85  ° C for 10 min, respectively. HAV inactivation from suspension and dried mussels was achieved by 85  ° C for 6 min and 15 min, respectively, and also by a 1 min at 100  ° C. At 60, 85 and 100  ° C, the 1‐log (D‐values) inactivation from both suspension and dried mussels was 6.33 and 7.93, 0.98 and 3.05, and 0.28 and 0.38 min, respectively. A higher temperature and/or a thermal treatment time shorter than 85  ° C for 6 min (100  ° C for 1 min) could be used for commercial target foods for complete HAV inactivation.     

Effect of Temperature on Firmness of Raw Fruits and Vegetables

The firmness of a number of fruits and vegetables was measured by deformation, extrusion and puncture tests over the temperature range 0-45°C. Most commodities showed decreasing firmness with increasing temperature but there were several exceptions to this general rule. For the majority of the commodities tested the firmness-temperature relationship was approximately linear. The firmness-temperature coefficient is defined as [(firmness at T₂– firmness at T₁)/(firmness at T₁ (T₂? T₁)] × 100 (percent change in firmness per degree temperature change) where T₁= lowest temperature and T₂= highest temperature at which firmness is measured. The firmness-temperature coefficient ranged from -1.65 for apricot to +0.12 for carrot using the puncture principle, from ?0.97 for Baby Gold peach to +7.7 for large Canoga strawberries tested between 30–45°C using the deformation principle, and from -0.04 for Golden Delicious apple stored 7 months to ?1.34 for NK199 sweet corn using the extrusion principle.     

Kinetic behaviour and thermal inactivation of pectinlyase used in food processing

Kinetic properties and thermal inactivation of pectinlyase (PL) were assayed in commercial pectinase preparations (Rapidase C80, Pectinase CCM, Pectinex 3XL and Grindamyl 3PA) by using apple pectin as substrate. The PL activity of Rapidase C80 showed substrate inhibition, while the other enzyme preparations followed typical Michaelis–Menten kinetics. The optimum pH and temperature values for PL activity lay within the range of 5.5–6.5 and 35–40 °C, respectively. PL was heat‐inactivated with simple first order kinetics. With respect to this, thermodynamic activation parameters (ΔH^#, ΔS^# and ΔG^#) using a non‐linear Arrhenius plot were calculated. The Pectinase CCM and Pectinex 3XL PL showed a half‐life (t_1/2) at 50 °C of 2.0 min and 11.8 min, respectively.