EVALUATION OF LENTIL TEXTURE MEASUREMENTS BY COMPRESSION TESTING

The variability in texture for lentils of different size, from different locations and cooked for varying lengths of time was examined in relation to the sample size and the extent to which the sample was compressed during testing. The force to compress the lentils was found to be dependent on all variables examined and also demonstrated significant interactions between these variables. The coefficient of variability was dependent on the size of the lentil, a two-way interaction between sample size and compression and a three-way interaction between location, cooking time and sample size. Regardless of lentil size, location where the lentil was grown and the cooking time used, the variability in the texture readings was lowest when the larger sample size and maximum compression force were used.     

CLASSIFICATION OF GREEN PEA PEROXIDASES BY PREPARATIVE ISOELECTRIC FOCUSING

Green pea peroxidase isoenzymes were partially purified, identified, and grouped by preparative isoelectric focusing in granulated gel (PEGG), using a modified cascade method. Isoenzyme patterns were detected utilizing a substrate-impregnated paper print technique. Direct application of crude extract on PEGG proved to be a valuable tool for partial purification of peroxidase isoenzymes. A substrate-impregnated paper print technique enabled the detection of isoenzyme patterns and may replace the time-consuming conventional peroxidase activity assay. Twelve isoenzymes (pIs ranging from 5.5–8.6), isolated on analytical thin-layer isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gel, were isoelectrically homogeneous.     

FOOD TEXTURE MEASUREMENTS IN CANADA

A survey of the food industry, government agencies and educational institutions dealing with foods has been conducted to establish the nature and extent to which instrumental texture measurements are employed in Canada. Two hundred and fifteen questionnaires were sent out and 123 (57%) returned. Of those replying, 52% were using texture evaluation instruments. Within the food industry the use of texture measuring instruments was as follows: meat 36%; fish 20%; canner/freezer 79%; dairy 42%; confectionery 73%; baking 50%; fats and oils 78%; multi product 77%; beverage 0%. Most widely used instruments in the quality control area were rotational viscometers and penetrometers. The more complex instruments, such as the Universal Testing Machine and the Shear Press, were used to a larger extent in the research area. The use of some instruments appeared to be restricted to particular commodity groups. The questionnaire dealt among other things with the use of taste panels, statistical evaluation of results, and the need for expanded use of instruments. There was general agreement that more standardization of methods is desirable.     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CERTAIN PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL MEASUREMENTS AND SENSORY APPRAISALS OF APPLE TEXTURE

Apples were selected as the test medium to provide information about the relative value of physical-chemical measurements as predictors of sensory appraisal of texture. Sensory, shear force, moisture, pH and protopectin/total pectin measurements of textural parameters for five variety-lots, after various storage periods, were treated by multiple regression, analysis of variance, and covariance and path analyses. Statistical treatments revealed relationships that were clearcut and certain trends that appear to be meaningful. Panel scores were not well predicted by objective measurements with one exception. Shear force was an excellent predictor for crispness of Colorado Red Delicious. Tenderness of Golden Delicious increased as storage increased and protopectin/total pectin decreased, whereas losses of crispness and juiciness were small and inconsistent. Overall results of sensory and physical-chemical tests for Winesap and Red Delicious were rather consistent in that tenderness increased and juiciness decreased linearly with the length of storage.     

FOOD TEXTURE MEASUREMENTS WITH THE PENETRATION METHOD

Following the work of Bourne, penetration measurements were performed with two sets of punches. The first set had a constant area and various perimeters. The second set had a constant perimeter and various areas. At constant perimeter, the relationship between punch area and force was a straight line with process cheese, butter and margarine, the latter two going through the origin. At constant area, the relationship between punch perimeter and force was a straight line for process cheese, but no definite relation between punch perimeter and force was obtained with butter and margarine. The relationship between the nature of the curves and the physical structure of the food is discussed. It was concluded that penetration tests of cellular products such as fruits studied by Bourne may involve shear and compression factors. In products with strongly bound network structures, e.g. process cheese, the main factors are shear and flow. In products with weakly bound network structures, such as plastic fats, flow is the only major factor involved.     

PEA TEXTURE STUDIES USING A SINGLE PUNCTURE MATUROMETER*

The operation of the single puncture maturometer is described. A linear regression relationship was established between single puncture maturometer readings (SPMR) and commercial maturometer readings. Various parameters of the force distance curve obtained during puncturing of individual peas were found to be related to gross chemical composition and maturity. Maximum force showed the highest and a positive correlation with alcohol insoluble solids (AIS). The force required to puncture peas was independent of the hole size used but increased with increasing pin diameter; it was related to AIS and to total solids by linear regressions. SPMR of peas in a single peapod showed that all were of similar maturity.     

USE OF RHEOLOGICAL TERMS AND CORRELATION OF COMPATIBLE MEASUREMENTS IN FOOD TEXTURE RESEARCH1

The importance of maintaining the purity of rheological terms and using them only when measurements and definitions are in accordance with the accepted rheological definitions is pointed out. It is shown that if rheological terms and methods of measurements and analyses are used correctly, they can be employed in food texture studies even though conditions upon which the theory is based are not fully met. It is proposed that the term “modulus of elasticity” be replaced by the term “modulus of deformabtiity” which considers both recoverable and unrecoverable deformations that often take place when a food sample is subjected to even very small strains. It is also submitted that mechanical properties reflecting the behavior of the material under small strains do not necessarily correlate significantly with mechanical properties which reflect the yielding and fracturing or failure of the material. Published data are examined to test the validity of this hypothesis. In general, correlations between well-defined failure type instrumental tests and panel tests are good, whereas correlations between small-strain instrumental tests and panel tests are poor.     

TEXTURE OF FRESH-PACK WHOLE CUCUMBER PICKLES: CORRELATION OF INSTRUMENTAL AND SENSORY MEASUREMENTS*

Correlations were determined between Texture Profile Analysis parameters of brittleness, hardness or total work of compression obtained with the Instron testing machine and sensory responses of firmness or crispness in evaluating texture of fresh-pack processed whole cucumbers (1-in. diam) of three ‘firm’ pickling cultivars (Explorer, Chipper, GY 3), two ‘soft’ pickling cultivars (Green F, Mincu) and a parthenocarpic slicer (MSU 6902 G). Further, correlations were determined between the TPA parameters and Magness-Taylor fruit pressure test (FPT) firmness. TPA hardness and total work correlated well with sensory responses; FPT firmness correlated satisfactorily with sensory firmness. Mean textural values from the various methods were compared with those obtained in the same manner for raw cucumbers. TPA brittleness tended to disappear in the processed fruit. Processing reduced mean TPA values across the six varieties to 35-58% of raw fruit values; it decreased mean FPT firmness to only 88%.     

SENSORY TEXTURE PROFILE, GRAIN PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND INSTRUMENTAL MEASUREMENTS OF COOKED RICE

Three samples of raw-milled rice, and 4 differently parboiled rices were used to study and to relate sensory perception to instrumental measurements. Variance analysis showed that some physico-chemical characteristics indicated great differences among rice samples: thickness of cooked grain, length/width ratio, water uptake, elastic recovery, white core rate and amylose and protein contents. The most discerning sensory attributes were: elasticity, stickiness, pastiness, mealiness, length of grain, firmness, crunchiness, time in mouth, brittle texture and juiciness. The correlation circle of the principal component analysis (PCA) showed high correlation between some sensory characteristics and instrumental measurements. Melting texture, surface moistness, juiciness, were positively correlated with water uptake (r = 0.70, 0.61, 0.71). Granular texture, crunchiness, brittleness and mealiness were significantly affected by white core presence (r = 0.81, 0.74, 0.86, 0.83). Elasticity was dependent upon elastic recovery and firmness measured by the Viscoelastograph, but not linearly. Length of cooked grain was correlated with the length/width ratio of raw grain (r = 0.83). Pastiness, compactness, stickiness were slightly influenced by the thickness of raw grain (r = 0.81, 0.67, 0.72). To a weaker extent, the sensory firmness was associated with the firmness measured by extrusion force using an Ottawa cell (r = 0.58). PCA showed greatdifferences in texture between rices. Two of the parboiled rices were very elastic, another was firm, granular, crunchy and mealy. The remaining two, cooked longer, were moister and more melting. Among the 3 samples of raw-milled rices, differences in grain length feeling and melting-granular-brittle characteristics. were distinguished.     

TEXTURE OF SALT STOCK WHOLE CUCUMBER PICKLES: CORRELATION OF INSTRUMENTAL AND SENSORY MEASUREMENTS*

Correlations were determined between Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) parameters of brittleness, hardness or total work of compression obtained with the Instron testing machine and sensory responses of firmness or crispness in evaluating texture of fermented salt stock whole cucumbers (1-in. diam) of three ‘firm’ pickling cultivars (Explorer, Chipper, GY 3), two ‘soft’ pickling cultivars (Green F, Mincu) and a partheonocarpic slicer (MSU 6902 G). Correlations were also determined between the TPA parameters and Magness-Taylor fruit pressure test (FPT) firmness. Correlations were good between TPA parameters and FPT firmness. Correlations were poorer between instrumental and sensory methods due largely to inordinately high sensory scores assigned to salt stock of the slicer by all panelists. Mean textural values from the various methods were compared with those obtained in the same manner for raw cucumbers. TPA brittleness tended to disappear in salt stock. Processing reduced mean TPA values across the six varieties to 39-86% of raw fruit values. Mean FPT firmness was relatively unchanged at 99% that of raw fruit. Desalting from 16% down to 8 % or 4% NaCl reduced TPA values but increased FPT firmness.     

PREDICTION OF TEXTURE IN GREEN ASPARAGUS BY NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY (NIRS)

NIR spectroscopy was used to estimate three textural parameters of green asparagus: maximum cutting force, energy and toughness. An Instron 1140 Texturometer provided reference data. A total of 199 samples from two asparagus varieties (Taxara and UC‐157) were used to obtain the calibration models between the reference data and the NIR spectral data. Standard errors of cross validation (SECV) and r² were (5.73, 0.84) for maximum cutting force, (0.58, 0.66) for toughness, and (0.04, 0.85) for cutting energy. The mathematical models developed as calibration models were tested using independent validation samples (n =20); the resulting standard errors of prediction (SEP) and r² for the same parameters were (6.73, 0.82), (0.61, 0.57) and (0.04, 0.89), respectively. For toughness, substantially improved r² (0.85) and SEP (0.36) when four samples exhibiting large residual values were removed. The results indicated that NIRS could accurately predict texture parameters of green asparagus.     

A STUDY OF PRESTORAGE HEAT TREATMENT EFFECT ON APPLE TEXTURE: DESTRUCTIVE AND NONDESTRUCTIVE MEASUREMENTS

Effects of prestorage heat treatment on the texture of three apple cultivars: 'Gloster,'Golden Delicious' and 'Jonagold' (Malus domestica Borkh.) were studied before and after heat treatments at different time-temperature combinations. Changes of apple firmness, extractable juice content, background color, soluble solids concentration (SSC) and pH values were determined after 4 months cold storage (2C, 95% RH). Prestorage heat treatment can inhibit 'Golden Delicious' softening during cold storage but less effective for 'Jonagold' apples. Severe internal browning was found for heat treated 'Gloster' apples after cold storage. Heat treatments had no benefit on apple juiciness maintenance. Heat treated apples showed more physiological disorders compared with the nontreated apples after 4 months cold storage. The effect of prestorage heat treatment seems to be cultivar dependent.