ITALIAN FOOD TECHNOLOGY 61/2010

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ITALIANTECHNOLOGY

n. 61 - October 2010ISSN 1590-6515

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26 - RESEARCHIs there a link between antioxidant intake and reduced incidence of allergy in children? - Food gas sensor could show when fruit is ripe and meat fresh - Bio lms have a new foil - Allergenic proteins in tomato and the safety of tomato products - Food tattoos for identifying fruit - Olive oil extract and Alzheimers disease - Replacing fat in meat products with olive bre

32 - NUTRITIONSteady growth for new products for gut health - Manu-facture of sucrose-free chocolate using Stevia and DP inulin - Gluten-free foods: focus shifting to nutrition & taste - Salt: too much or too little?

36 - NEW PLANTSAn inside look at food processing and packaging trends in 2010

40 - FOOD PROCESSINGHigh pressure homogenization improves products to excellence - Sorting solutions - Evaporation plants and spray driers

44 - MEAT PROCESSINGContinuous meat cutter - Salpork slicers - Meat tech-nologies - Automatic sewing machine

46 - MILK AND CHEESE EQUIPMENTCutting machine for curd - Scrapping machine for cheese - Cheese production - Cheese cutting plant

48 - ICE-CREAM TECHNOLOGYU.H.T. treatment for ice-cream - Pasteurizers and aging-mixing - Ice-cream machine lines

52 - FRUIT AND VEGETABLEClimatic effects on peach processing

56 - BAKERY AND CONFECTIONERYAutomatic machines for bakeries - Industrial sheeter - Automatic cyclothermic oven

58 - PACKAGING EQUIPMENTHygienic thermoforming - Accurate dosing for liquids and powders - Multi-head weigher - Pod making machine

60 - PACKAGING TRENDSBio-based plastics may have enormous potential - Demand for microwave packaging grows - Tubes versatility and presence in consumer-oriented sectors ensure stability - Sustainability and innovations in plastic packaging - Bioplastics are ourishing - The converted exible packaging market in Europe - US frozen food packaging demand report

66 - MARKETING REPORTSThe coffee market still under pressure - Enzymes as process aids in food applications - Obesity rates drive the weight management ingredients market

70 - FOOD SAFETYBetter surveillance needed to ght spread of antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic infections - Ferrous ammonium phosphate as a source of iron: safe or not? - European overview of dioxin levels in food and feed - The annual report on pesticide residues in food

74 - NEWSThe packaging that sells quality - Electronic nose for olive oil - Drops of fruit - Excellence for private labels - Sapore tasting experience at Rimini - International events in Italy

79 - ADVERTISER INDEX

80 - COMPANY INDEX

October2010

number 61

DEPARTMENTS

CONTENTS5 - SAUSAGES

Effect of a new packaging lm on the storage quality of sliced Mortadella Bologna under modi ed atmosphere

E. Chiavaro E. Foroni A. Montenero M. Rocchetti E. Zanardi

21 - FRUITBehavior of pectinase extracted from minimally processed fresh-cut melons

12 - TOMATOAntioxidant composition of tomato products typically consumed in Italy G. Giovanelli

E. Pagliarini

M. ChisariR.N. Barbagallo G. Spagna

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0< &90%)Bottom (85 m) PET/PE/EVOH/ PEEL O2 ) 2.4 mL/m

2/atm/day at 23C ) 6.2 g/m2/day at 38C 90% RHCO2 ) 7.5 mL/m

2/atm/day at 23C

PSP1 B7 days Top (115 m) PET/PSP/PE O2 ) 1.5 mL/m2/atm/day at 23C under dark

PSP1 B18 days UV light permeability CO2 ) 5.0 mL/m2/atm/day at 23C ) 7.0 g/m2/day at 38C 90% RH (7 or 18 days)-

(excluded light below light exposition350 nm, >90%)

Bottom (65 m) PET/PSP/PEEL O2 ) 1.5 mL/m2/atm/day at 23C ) 8.0 g/m2/day at 38C 90% RH

CO2 ) 5.0 mL/m2/atm/day at 23C

1Thickness according to information from the supplier. The values refer to the sheet thickness measured before thermoforming.2Material abbreviations: EVOH, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer; PE, polyethylene; PEEL, Peelable PE; PET, expanded polyethylene terephthalate.

05_11_chiavaro.indd 705_11_chiavaro.indd 7 06/10/10 12:5506/10/10 12:55

SAUSAGES

8 - Italian Food & Beverage Technology - LXI (2010) october

Italy) for Escherichia coli and Staph-ylococcus aureus.All plates were incubated aero-bically at 25C for 3 days. The number of bacteria was expressed as colony forming units (CFU)/mL. Three top slices were ana-lyzed for each packaging x storage condition x time.

Statistical analysisSPSS (Version 17.0 SPSS Inc., Chicago, Usa) statistical software was used to perform one-way-analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Least Signi cant Difference test (LSD) at a 95% con dence level (p)0.05) to identify dif-ferences for each packed sam-ple at different days of storage. A Student t-test (p

SAUSAGES

Italian Food & Beverage Technology - LXI (2010) october - 9

Fig. 1 - TBARS (mg malondialdehyde/kg) for Mortadella samples differently packaged: (a) A storage condition; (b) B storage condition. Error bars represent +/- 1 standard deviation. Bars with different small (mean differences during storage under the same packaging condition) and capital (mean differences among different packaging conditions at the same day of storage) letters are signi cantly different (n= 3 per packaging per day, p ) 0.05).


SAUSAGES


and a* (redness), measured on lean portion of the Mortadella samples, signi cantly increased during dark storage for both control and PSP1 until 21 days of display maintenance, also re-sulting in a general increase of colour saturation (C*) for both packaging solution, with a general stabilization of pink colour. Pink colour of cooked pork products is related to nitrosylhaemochrome formation caused by reaction of nitric oxide with myoglobin to form nitrosylmyoglobin and its consequent denaturation af-ter heat treatment (Fox, 1966). A signi cant increase of L* was also found for the fat portion of both differently packaged samples starting from 21 days of dark stor-age. A slight increase of b* (yel-lowness) of fat portion was also observed only for control samples at the end of storage, in accord-ance with the slight increase of lipid oxidation observed for these samples (Fig. 1). Nitric oxide pigments were well known to be unstable under light and oxygen causing discoloration of cooked products (Fox, 1966). Thus, the experimentation was carried out to evaluate the performances of-fered by PSP1 packaging solution for Mortadella Bologna stored un-der light in retail display cabinets.Concerning trial B, the colour of the lean portion of both dif-ferently packaged Mortadella samples was found to have mean lightness (L*) of 71.11.5, red-ness (a*) of 11.71.5, yellowness (b*) of 15.81.5, chroma (C*) of 18.61.3 after 3 days of display storage for both dark maintenance (7 or 18 days) (data not shown). All parameters were found to not signi cantly change during light storage with the exception of a*

that partially decreased to reach value of 8.80.8 at the end of storage for all packaging condi-tions. Previous studies had al-ready demonstrated that colour of sliced cooked pork products packed in plastic material with low oxygen transmission rate were stabilized by chilled dark storage prior to display and exposure to light (Andersen et al., 1988; An-dersen et al.,1990). In addition, no signi cant changes were ob-served for the fat portion of both PSP1 and control samples that remained unaltered under light storage (data not shown). Sev-eral studies were carried out to assess top slice discoloration of cooked pork products evaluating the in uence of different factors (Caballo et al., 1991; Grni et al.,1992; Mller et al., 2000). It was recently established that among factors, the interactions between headspace oxygen level, product to headspace volume ratio and the level of illuminance may be all together evaluated and optimized to control the colour stability (Mller et al., 2003). Otherwise, colour stability of cooked sliced ham under light was reported to be not in uenced by the presence of UV-impermeable material (An-dersen et al., 1988) as well as by mixtures of carbon dioxide and ni-trogen in different ratios (Mller et al., 2003). In the case evaluated in this study, red colour appeared to be stable up to 7 days of retail dis-play cabinet storage that is com-monly performed for this type of product in the market. The evalu-ation of packaging performance to prolong storage needs to be further performed by optimization of the conditions above reported.Total viable counts (TVC) was found to be 2.0 log10 CFU/g at

the beginning of storage (7 days) under dark for both types of packaging conditions (control and PSP1), to slightly increase to reach value of 3.0 log10 CFU/g after 42 days (data not shown). In trial B, TVC was found to be 2.0 and 3.0 log10 CFU/g after 7 days and 18 days of dark storage, respectively, for both packaging conditions. This value further increased to 3.0 and 4.0 log10CFU/g for control and PSP1, re-spectively, after 7 days of storage under light to remain substan-tially unaltered until 9 days for samples stored 7 days under dark (Control B7 days and PSP1 B7 days).On the other hand, after 21 days of storage under dark, TVC re-mained unaltered for both pack-aging conditions at 3 days of stor-age under light (3.0 log10 CFU/g) to reach value of 4.0 log10 CFU/g at 7 days and 5.0 log10 CFU/g at 9 days, respectively, for both packaging conditions. The trend observed for total microbial ora can be considered normal for this type of product in the anaerobic conditions adopted in this study (Bersot et al., 2001).The number of Enterococcus fae-calis and Salmonella spp. did not exceed the detection limits of 1 log10 CFU/g of the method, as well as for Escherichia coli and Staphylo-coccus aureus for both trial A and B showing that PSP1 packaging conditions seems to be able to keep the hygienic quality of the product also under forced storage conditions (9 days light exposi-tion) as well as control, even if the observance of adequate hygienic conditions during manufacturing is fundamental for preserving by contamination.These results showed that PSP1 solution, with improved barrier


SAUSAGES


effect and a thin thickness, was a suitable solution for packaging of sliced Mortadella Bologna as initial qualities remained unal-tered also after light exposition and/or time of storage. The use of this lm for sliced Mortadella, as done in this work, could be extended to other packaging solu-tions (e.g. exible bag of different headspace/volume ratio), as well as to other pork products. This will be further evaluated as PSP1 lms offer undeniable economic advantages, reducing the weight of the required packaging materi-als with a consequently reduced environmental impact, maintain-ing high barrier effect.

Acknowledgements

The Authors gratefully acknowl-edge the assistance of Ivana Bergamini and Marco Alberti (Grandi Salumi ci Italiani S.p.A., Modena, Italy). They are also in-debted with Grandi Salumi ci Italiani S.p.A for the gift of the Mortadella samples.

REFERENCES

Andersen H.J., Bertelsen G., Boegh-Soer-ensen L., Shek C.K., Skibsted L.H. Effect of light and packaging conditions on the colour stability of sliced ham. Meat Sci-ence, 22: 283-292, 1988.

Andersen H.J., Bertelsen G., Ohlen A., Skibsted L.H. Modified packaging as protection against photodegradation of the colour of pasteurized sliced ham. Meat Science, 28: 77-83, 1990.

AOAC. Of cial Methods of Analysis, 16th Ed. Association of Of cial Analytical Chem-ists, Arlington, VA, 2002.

Bergamaschi M., Pizza A., Rozzi G., Pedrelli

R., Ghisi M., Carpi G. Effect of some physical and chemical hurdles on stabil-ity to oxidation and microbial growth of vacuum-packed Mortadella sausage. Industria Conserve, 77: 15-29, 2002.

Bergamaschi M., Pizza A., Pedrelli R., Santi S., Franceschini M., Gianni C. Production technology of PGI Mortadella Bologna sausages: effects of swine diet and stor-age conditions on the quality of frozen raw material and sausages. Industria Conserve, 79: 251-265, 2003.

Bersot L.S., Landgraf M., Franco B.D.G.M., Destro M.T. Production of mortadella: behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes duringprocessing and storage conditions. Meat Science, 57: 13-17, 2001.

Caballo J., Cavestany M., Jimnez-Colmene-ro F. Effect of light on colour and reaction of nitrite in sliced pork bologna under differrent chilled storage temperatures. Meat Science, 30: 235-244, 1991.

Consorzio Mortadella Bologna (2009). Comunicato Stampa del 9 Aprile 2009. Available at http://www.ivsi.it/pdf/090409_CS%20MB_produzione%202008.pdf. (Accessed 20th July 2010).

Council Regulation (EC) n. 510/2006 of 20 March 2006 on the protection of geo-graphical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and food-stuffs. Of cial Journal of the European Union, L 93 of 31 March 2006, 12-25.

Fox J.B. The chemistry of meat pigments. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chem-istry, 14: 207-210, 1966.

Ghiretti G. P. Zanardi, E. Novelli E., Cam-paninim G., Dazzim G., Madarenam G., Chizzolini R. Comparative evaluation of some antioxidants in salame Milano and mortadella production. Meat Science, 47: 167-176, 1997.

Grni J.A., Srheim O., Nissen H. The ef-fect of packaging materials and oxygen on the colour stability of sliced Bologna. Packaging Technology and Science, 5: 313-320, 1992.

Larsen H., Wedstad F., Srheim O., Nilsen L.H. Determination of critical oxygen level in packages for cooked sliced ham to prevent color fading during illuminated

retail display. Journal of Food Science, 71: S407-413, 2006.

Marino I.G., Lottici P.P., Razzetti C., Mon-tenero A., Rocchetti M., Toselli M., Marini M., Pilati F. Polaroscopic imaging and vibrational characterization of hybrid lms for packaging. Packaging Technology and Science, 21: 329-338, 2008.

Mller J.K.S., Jaokbsen M., Weber C.J., Mar-tinussen T., Skibsted L.H., Bertelsen G. Optimisation of colour stability of cured ham during packaging and retail display by a multifactorial design. Meat Science, 169-175, 2003.

Mller J.K.S., Jensen J.S., Olsen M.B., Skibsted L.H., Bertelsen G. Effect of residual oxygen on colour stability during chioll storage of sliced, pasteurised ham packaged in modi ed atmosphere. Meat Science, 54: 399-405, 2000.

Novelli E., Zanardi E., Ghiretti G.P., Cam-panini G., Dazzi G., Madarena G., Chiz-zolini R. Lipid and cholesterol oxidation in frozen stored pork, salame Milano and Mortadella. Meat Science, 48: 29-40, 1998.

Pizza A., Pedrielli R., Barbieri G., Berga-maschi M., Gianni C., Franceschini M. Adding value to the formulations of typical PGI products (Mortadella Bologna and Zampone Modena): effects of raw materials and storage conditions on the formation of the quality characteristics of the products. Industria Conserve, 79: 405-423, 2004.

Pizza A., Barbieri G., Pedrelli R., del Monte L., Franceschini M., Quintavalla S. Tech-nological innovations and shelf-life charac-teristics of PGI Italian mortadella pieces. Industria Conserve, 81: 135-150, 2006.

Summo C., Caponio F., Paradiso V.M., Tri-carico F., Bellino M.R., Durante V. The lipid fraction of mortadella: fatty acid composition and oxidative and hydrolytic degradation. Industrie Alimentari, 47: 841-845, 2008.

Zanardi E., Novelli E., Campanini G., Madarena G., Chizzolini R. Low-fat mortadella: experimental formulations with some fat substitutes. Annali della Facolt di Medicina Veterinaria di Parma, 19: 317-326, 1999.


TOMATO


G. GIOVANELLI* - E. PAGLIARINIDistam, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari e Microbiologiche -

Universit degli Studi di Milano - Via Celoria 2 - 20133 Milano - Italy*e-mail: [email protected]

ANTIOXIDANT COMPOSITION

OF TOMATO PRODUCTS TYPICALLY

CONSUMED IN ITALYKey words: ascorbic acid, carotenoids, polyphenols,

rutin, tomato pulp, tomato puree

INTRODUCTION

The Mediterranean diet is associ-ated with a low incidence of chronic diseases and, in particular, of sev-eral types of cancer (RISO et al.,2003). The health properties of this dietary model are ascribed to the high content of complex carbohy-drates, bers and antioxidants and to a low animal fat content. For this reason, nutritional recommenda-tions include greater consumption of fruit and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, carotenoids and phenolic substances.Tomato is a typical dietary com-ponent in southern Europe and is known to be a rich source of anti-oxidants, mainly carotenoids, ascor-bic acid and polyphenols (Abushitaet al., 1997; Leonardi et al., 2000; Beecher, 1998; Giovanelli et al.,1999; Stewart et al., 2000; Frus-ciante et al., 2007). Over the last few decades scientists have investi-

gated the disease-preventing prop-erties of tomatoes and tomato com-ponents. They have demonstrated that regular tomato consumption is associated with a reduced risk of various types of cancer (Rao and Agarwal, 2000) and in particu-lar prostate cancer (Giovannucci,1999) and colorectal adenomas (Erhardt et al., 2003). Tomato con-sumption has also been correlated with a lower incidence of cardiovas-cular disease (Willcox et al., 2003; Pandey et al., 1995; Rao and Agar-wal, 2000).Several studies have been carried out on the effects of processing and thermal treatments on tomato anti-oxidants and antioxidant activity (Nguyen and Schwartz, 1999; Gio-vanelli et al., 2001; Zanoni et al.,2003; Sahlin et al., 2004; Charan-jeet et al., 2004). The results have shown substantial lycopene stabil-ity and variable changes in ascorbic acid and polyphenols. These studies have been conducted on different

ABSTRACT

Several commercial samples of tomato pulp and tomato puree

produced by major Italian companies and corresponding to

different lots were examined to determine the overall composition and concentrations of antioxidant

components (namely all-trans-lycopene, `-carotene, ascorbic acid,

total polyphenols and rutin), in order to obtain reliable nutritional

information about tomato preserves that are typically consumed in

Italy. Analysis of the data showed that the two types of products

differ in ascorbic acid and rutin concentrations, whereas similar values were found for lycopene, `-carotene and total phenolics.

The differences can be ascribed to the quality of the raw materials as well as the processing technology used, as shown by the pilot-scale

experimentation. The compositional data reported can be used to improve and enhance nutritional information

about Italian tomato products.

12_20_giovannelli.indd 1212_20_giovannelli.indd 12 06/10/10 13:5706/10/10 13:57

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products, cultivated in different Countries and obtained from differ-ent tomato varieties, so it is dif cult to compare the nutritional data. Moreover, data are often given on a fresh weight basis, whereas tomato products are marketed at different concentration levels, depending on local food legislation and traditions.The aim of this study was to evalu-ate the antioxidant composition of tomato products that are mainly consumed in Italy, where both fresh and processed tomato products are very popular.In 2003 in Italy 5.2 million tons of tomatoes were processed into tomato concentrate (16%), whole peeled tomatoes (38%), tomato pulp (29%), and tomato puree (14%) (ISMEA, 2004). These prod-ucts are exclusively made of tomato; only NaCl and citric acid are added (the latter to adjust the pH).Domestic consumption of tomato products in Italy is mainly based on tomato puree, whole peeled to-matoes and tomato pulp, which make up the principal ingredients of sauces for pasta, pizza, and vari-ous meat and sh recipes. Tomato concentrate is principally used in industrial food production and ca-tering (ISMEA, 2004).For the purpose of this study, 15 tomato purees (passata) and 13 to-mato pulps (diced tomato in tomato juice) from three major national companies were purchased on the market and the usual quality param-eters and the antioxidant composi-tion were determined, particularly the quantities of all-trans-lycopeneand all-trans-`-carotene, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and rutin (quercetin-3-rutinoside). Furosine [E-N-(2-furoyl-methyl-L-lysine)] was determined as a heat-damage index in the tomato products.Two experimental tomato purees

and two experimental tomato pulps were produced using a pilot plant and then analysed for the same parameters as the commercial sam-ples, in order to obtain some infor-mation about the effects of indus-trial processing on the antioxidant composition of the products.Data are given on both fresh weight and dry weight basis, in order to compare products with different solid contents. These data could be of great interest to nutritionists and can be used to enhance and com-plete nutritional food tables.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Tomato productsTomato puree (700 g glass bottles) and tomato pulp (450 g cans) were purchased on the market during the study period (approximately 6 months). Three major Italian brands were chosen and various production lots from each produc-er were collected. The samples are identi ed in the text by X (pulp) or Y (puree), a letter (a, b, c) for the producer and a number (1 to 6) for the lot.The two experimental tomato pu-rees and two experimental tomato pulps were produced on a pilot scale, using an industrial variety of tomato (Brigade) and a high-lycopene experimental hybrid (PC 30956), characterised by high-pig-ment genes (SM, sp+, hp-2, u+); the latter will be referred to as the high-lycopene tomato. Both raw materials were supplied by Cirio Ricerche, Piana di Monte Verna, Salerno, Italy. Experimental sam-ples are identi ed by letters d and e, which correspond to the different tomato varieties (Brigade and high-lycopene, respectively).

For pilot-scale production, about 100 kg of tomatoes were washed in a soak tank with mechanical agita-tion, put on a roller conveyor where the tomatoes were rinsed by spray-ing with water. The pulp production plant was a continuous line, consist-ing of a heater where the tomatoes were dipped in hot water (100C) for 30 s, put into a hopper where tomatoes were cooled by a cold-wa-ter spray. The tomatoes were then conveyed to a scoring knife which made a shallow slit in the peel of each tomato and next through jaws that gripped the peels and slipped the tomatoes out of the peels. The tomatoes then moved onto rotating rubber rollers that eliminated any residual peels. Defective tomatoes were eliminated by an operator. Tomatoes were then mechanically sliced (12 mm width); the slices were drained on vibrating sieves to remove serum and seeds, and then passed through a chopper (to obtain 12 mm cubes). Cans (400 g) were manually lled with tomato pulp (310-320 g) and tomato juice at 10.5-11.0Bx (80-90 g) and steri-lised by heating in a 100C water bath to obtain a treatment equal to F100 = 12. The sterilizing effect was monitored by a thermocouple inserted into one of the cans. After sterilisation, the cans were cooled by immersion in tap water.Tomato puree was produced by a discontinuous line; the washed to-matoes were crushed and blanched in the same plant, by pushing toma-toes through a grid into a tubular heat exchanger where the product was heated up to 96-98C. The product was directly discharged into a re ner made of two subsequent vertical tubular sieves (1.5 and 0.8 mm, respectively); the product was forced through the sieves by a rotat-ing tree. The re ned puree passed


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through the sieves while the peels, seeds and coarse material were dis-carded. The tomato puree was then concentrated to the desired degree (9Brix) in a batch pan evaporator (capacity 50 L) for 35-40 min at 65C (- 600 mm Hg). The desired amount of NaCl was added (about 0.5%), then the tomato puree was heated up to 92C in the same pan before manual hot- lling of the glass bottles (750 g). The bot-tles were sterilised in a water bath (100C) to obtain the desired heat treatment (F100 = 12-14), then cooled in the same bath with tap water.

Analytical methodsAnalytical determinations were car-ried out on tomato pulp, puree, and on raw tomatoes. For the analysis of raw tomatoes, 5-6 tomatoes were blanched in boiling water for 30 s and manually peeled. The peeled tomatoes were homogenised in an ice bath (60 s with a Waring Blend-er at moderate speed) and aliquots were immediately extracted with a suitable solvent. For the analysis of commercial samples, two pack-ages of each sample were poured together and homogenised with the

Waring Blender for a few seconds.Dry weight was determined gravi-metrically after drying in a vacuum oven at 70C (AOAC, 2002); NaCl, pH, titratable acidity and reducing sugars were determined as reported by Porretta (1991).Colour indices (L*, a* and b*) were measured with a tristimulus chro-mameter (Minolta, Tokyo, Japan, model CR-210), calibrated with a red standard (No. 482, Bureau Communitaire de Reference: L* = 25.6, a* = 33.5, b* = 14.7) and red colour index is expressed as a*/b*; each colour value was obtained by 5 repeated measurements.Ascorbic acid was extracted with 0.3% meta-phosphoric acid and determined by HPLC and electro-chemical detection, as previously described (Giovanelli et al., 2002). All-trans-lycopene and all-trans-`-carotene were determined by ex-traction with tetrahydrofuran and subsequent reverse-phase HPLC analysis with UV detection, as previously described (Giovanelli et al., 2002). Total phenolics were extracted, puri ed by separation on a C18 Sep Pak cartridge (Waters, Millford, MA, USA) and deter-mined by Folin-Ciocalteau reagent,

while rutin (quercetin-3-rutinoside) was determined by reverse-phase HPLC analysis on the phenolic ex-tract (Giovanelli et al., 2001); furo-sine was determined by HPLC after acid hydrolysis and is expressed as milligrams of furosine per 100 g of protein, as reported by Hidalgo and Pompei (2000).

Statistical analysisAll chemical analyses were car-ried out in triplicate and data are expressed as the mean value standard deviation. The data were submitted to analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA), F-test and Mul-tiple Range Test (LSD), performed by Statgraphics plus 5.1 package (Graphics Software Systems, Rock-ville, MD, USA).Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was also performed in order to interpret differences between the tomato products; the Unscrambler 9.5.0 software was used (Camo As, Trondheim, Norway).

RESULTS

Table 1 reports the analytical com-position of the raw tomatoes used

Table 1 Analytical data of raw tomatoes used for experimental pulp and puree production on fresh and dry weight basis (mean value, standard deviation in brackets).

Dry weight(g/100 g)

Brix pH a*/b* lycopene(mg/kg)

`-carotene(mg/kg)

ascorbicacid

(mg/kg)

totalphenolics(mg/kg)

rutin(mg/kg)

fw dw fw dw fw dw fw dw fw dwraw tomatoes:tomato d

5.64 4.55 4.35 2.30 129 2,295 2.8 50 183 3,245 253 4,487 23 400

(n=2) (0.35) (0.07) (0.07) (0.01) (12) (213) (0.1) (3) (27) (502) (15) (270) (4) (70)

tomato e 6.50 5.07 4.47 2.71 187 2,870 5.5 85 272 4,180 329 5,068 23 351

(n=3) (0.57) (0.68) (0.07) (0.11) (15) (231) (0.8) (13) (46) (708) (23) (355) (3.4) (52)

n = number of lots examined;fw = fresh weight basis;dw = dry weight basis.


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for pilot-scale production. Two lots of d tomatoes (Brigade) and three lots of e tomatoes (high-lycopene hybrid) were analysed during the experimental period. The e toma-toes were higher in solid content and richer in lycopene, `-carotene, ascorbic acid and total polyphenols than the d tomatoes, while there were no substantial differences in rutin concentration (data com-pared on a dry weight basis). Both varieties had higher concentrations of all the antioxidant components

when compared to the literature data (Davies and Hobson, 1981; Abushita et al., 1997; Leonardi etal., 2000). LENUCCI et al. (2006) reported higher concentrations of lycopene and total phenolics in high-pigment tomato hybrids.The analytical data for the com-mercial tomato pulp (13 lots) and tomato puree (15 lots) are shown in Tables 2 and 3, respectively. The mean values for each analytical pa-rameter in the commercial products and data obtained for the two ex-

perimental tomato pulps and purees are also reported.

Commercial tomato pulpsWith regard to tomato pulp (Table 2), the typical composition of the product showed a certain variability. The dry matter varied between 6.82 and 9.18 and the Brix between 5.43 and 7.70. The NaCl varied from 1.13 to 5.50 g/kg.The pH varied within a narrow range (4.19-4.38), as did the ti-tratable acidity (5.15-6.60). The

Table 2Analytical data of commercial and experimental tomato pulps expressed on fresh weight (mean value, standard deviation in brackets).

Dry Brix NaCl pH Total Reducing a*/b* Lycopene `- Ascorbic Total Rutin Furosineweight acidity sugars carotene acid phenolics (mg/100 g

(g/100 g) (g/kg) (g/kg) (g/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) protein)

commercial pulps:

Xa1 6.82 5.43 1.33 4.27 5.71 28.04 1.95 138.2 3.92 162.9 223 14.7 53.9(0.04) (0.06) (0.06) (0.01) (0.14) (0.05) (0.025) (0.8) (0.02) (2.9) (7.1) (0.4) (4.0)

Xa2 7.12 6.20 1.37 4.26 6.42 31.27 2.00 146.8 4.01 87.7 244 13.4 56.6(0.08) (0.01) (0.06) (0.01) (0.07) (0.14) (0.006) (3.1) (0.04) (0.6) (1.3) (0.2) (6.5)

Xa3 8.11 7.13 3.77 4.28 5.66 34.36 2.05 145.7 2.29 119.9 277 17.4 77.2(0.08) (0.06) (0.06) (0.01) (0.06) (0.25) (0.015) (0.5) (0.02) (3.2) (12.7) (0.6) (3.4)

Xa4 8.56 7.70 4.83 4.22 5.19 31.93 1.97 127.5 6.99 104.3 344 32.1 79.7(0.05) (0.01) (0.06) (0.01) (0.13) (0.34) (0.015) (4.0) (0.56) (0.4) (2.1) (0.1) (4.0)

Xa5 8.10 6.97 5.03 4.22 5.24 30.91 1.98 114.2 4.01 67.7 350 30.5 58.5(0.10) (0.06) (0.06) (0.01) (0.03) (0.73) (0.006) (2.7) (0.56) (3.8) (5.9) (0.6) (1.0)

Xa6 8.27 7.03 5.50 4.24 5.41 29.47 1.94 106.3 3.30 106.4 279 17.3 51.0(0.06) (0.15) (0.04) (0.02) (0.57) (0.68) (0.010) (6.7) (0.76) (5.7) (2.4) (0.7) (6.7)

Xb1 7.97 6.40 1.53 4.32 5.58 34.44 2.01 140.9 3.73 124.1 355 24.3 57.3(0.02) (0.10) (0.06) (0.01) (0.46) (0.05) (0.020) (9.2) (0.01) (2.0) (5.2) (0.2) (3.2)

Xb2 7.77 6.33 1.80 4.38 5.57 32.17 1.76 186.3 3.48 111.8 350 19.4 55.0(0.02) (0.06) (0.01) (0.01) (0.05) (0.08) (0.031) (11.1) (0.16) (2.3) (3.2) (0.7) (4.3)

Xb3 9.18 6.77 1.30 4.34 6.23 40.58 2.04 187.3 3.88 133.7 373 23.7 65.2(0.07) (0.06) (0.10) (0.01) (0.02) (1.21) (0.006) (18.8) (0.36) (1.5) (3.2) (0.1) (1.9)

Xb4 8.00 6.80 1.13 4.33 6.22 30.25 2.00 144.7 4.51 127.6 472 21.4 53.8(0.10) (0.10) (0.06) (0.01) (0.03) (1.90) (0.010) (2.3) (0.30) (6.4) (28.4) (0.9) (1.3)

Xc1 8.33 7.17 2.50 4.21 6.16 34.44 2.05 162.8 2.93 104.3 352 19.3 70.4(0.11) (0.06) (0.30) (0.01) (0.08) (1.49) (0.025) (8.0) (0.4) (3.3) (3.4) (0.7) (1.0)

Xc2 7.76 6.23 3.97 4.19 6.60 26.39 2.01 163.5 4.08 66.4 390 17.6 54.8(0.01) (0.06) (0.06) (0.01) (0.05) (0.37) (0.020) (6.4) (0.05) (1.1) (22.8) (0.1) (2.3)

Xc3 8.57 7.23 3.17 4.26 5.15 32.99 2.06 148.6 6.79 79.9 621 37.5 54.8(0.06) (0.06) (0.21) (0.01) (0.23) (0.25) (0.006) (0.2) (0.22) (1.8) (6.6) (0.7) (2.4)

mean value 8.04 6.72 2.86 4.27 5.78 32.10 1.99 147.1 4.15 107.4 356 22.2 60.6(0.61) (0.59) (1.60) (0.06) (0.49) (3.54) (0.078) (24.0) (1.34) (27.5) (103.2) (7.2) (9.4)

experimentalpulps:

Xd 8.28 7.17 2.93 4.30 5.92 30.91 2.06 162.1 4.12 207.1 200 12.6 119.3(0.07) (0.06) (0.07) (0.05) (0.08) (0.59) (0.006) (5.3) (1.63) (3.4) (4.0) (0.4) (3.1)

Xe 7.54 7.20 3.17 4.26 5.57 27.37 2.14 229.6 7.93 255.9 309 13.1 70.0(0.07) (0.01) (0.06) (0.04) (0.09) (0.47) (0.006) (6.5) (0.20) (2.2) (2.0) (0.2) (3.0)


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reducing sugar content was between 26.39 and 34.5 g/kg, with the ex-ception of one sample that had a much higher value (40.58 mg/kg). The colour index a*/b* was quite homogeneous, with values between 1.76 and 2.06.With regard to the antioxidant components, the lycopene content, i.e. the main carotenoid found in tomatoes, varied between 106.3

and 187.3 mg/kg, whereas the `-carotene concentrations were much lower (2.29-6.99 mg/kg). The ascor-bic acid concentration varied be-tween 66.4 and 162.9 mg/kg.Signi cant variability was observed in the total polyphenols (between 223-621 mg/kg). Rutin, the most representative avonoid in toma-toes (Stewart et al., 2000) and es-pecially important for its high anti-

oxidant activity, showed high vari-ability (13.4-37.5 mg/kg), which was not strictly related to the total polyphenol concentration.The furosine content is directly re-lated to the intensity of the heat treatment and represents a heat damage index (Hidalgo and Pom-pei, 2000). The furosine values were substantially homogeneous (between 51.0 and 79.7 mg/100 g

Table 3 Analytical data of commercial and experimental tomato purees expressed on fresh weight (mean value, standard deviation in brackets).

Dry Brix NaCl pH Total Reducing a*/b* Lycopene `- Ascorbic Total Rutin Furosineweight acidity sugars carotene acid phenolics (mg/100 g

(g/100 g) (g/kg) (g/kg) (g/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) protein)

commercial purees:

Ya1 8.78 7.53 8.07 4.39 5.58 34.35 2.07 148.2 5.09 219.5 452 52.3 58.3(0.03) (0.06) (0.06) (0.01) (0.02) (0.40) (0.006) (12.9) (0.03) (4.5) (4.3) (0.26) (4.5)

Ya2 8.32 7.33 7.80 4.40 5.02 32.87 1.97 127.4 4.85 208.6 432 49.5 62.3(0.03) (0.06) (0.01) (0.01) (0.04) (0.27) (0.006) (6.4) (0.09) (2.6) (2.2) (0.43) (1.1)

Ya3 8.68 7.87 7.53 4.35 5.90 33.45 1.99 139.8 5.58 173.9 483 55.6 74.6(0.01) (0.06) (0.06) (0.01) (0.01) (1.40) (0.006) (16.2) (0.14) (3.0) (9.7) (0.38) (1.1)

Ya4 9.13 8.2 3.26 4.30 5.43 38.13 2.01 168.2 5.30 227.0 375 59.2 120.0(0.10) (0.10) (0.12) (0.01) (0.10) (1.77) (0.030) (0.2) (0.85) (3.4) (7.4) (0.70) (5.0)

Ya5 9.39 8.27 4.60 4.41 6.58 40.61 2.03 196.3 5.39 191.7 342 59.1 87.6(0.02) (0.12) (0.10) (0.04) (0.26) (3.26) (0.025) (3.0) (0.54) (6.9) (10.0) (1.44) (3.5)

Ya6 8.52 7.53 5.60 4.40 5.42 32.66 2.01 145.0 4.93 183.8 381 49.6 96.6(0.02) (0.15) (0.36) (0.04) (0.11) (0.34) (0.015) (1.4) (0.87) (12.3) (8.5) (2.13) (5.1)

Yb1 9.49 8.47 5.37 4.43 5.63 38.89 2.17 172.6 4.54 196.3 385 40.6 66.9(0.04) (0.06) (0.06) (0.01) (0.04) (0.27) (0.006) (4.2) (0.39) (4.3) (0.4) (0.48) (2.3)

Yb2 9.33 8.3 5.43 4.38 6.16 36.52 2.13 166.5 5.62 240.9 399 37.3 59.8(0.06) (0.10) (0.21) (0.02) (0.06) (0.42) (0.015) (14.0) (0.31) (6.6) (6.8) (1.01) (2.2)

Yb3 9.78 8.83 5.07 4.41 6.12 38.44 2.14 195.7 5.69 259.5 381 36.9 52.8(0.02) (0.15) (0.06) (0.02) (0.05) (0.05) (0.015) (5.6) (0.45) (7.0) (14.6) (1.32) (4.9)

Yb4 9.60 8.7 5.23 4.41 5.72 37.99 2.16 193.9 5.65 229.3 413 39.5 59.8(0.20) (0.10) (0.06) (0.02) (0.22) (1.17) (0.010) (0.7) (0.44) (2.7) (8.4) (0.51) (3.3)

Yb5 9.60 8.83 5.77 4.43 6.08 36.06 2.15 191.6 6.58 205.1 518 33.8 45.6(0.10) (0.15) (0.31) (0.02) (0.11) (0.82) (0.020) (5.8) (0.04) (1.2) (17.6) (2.23) (2.3)

Yc1 8.38 7.33 5.17 4.32 6.59 35.02 1.97 190.6 4.57 70.3 388 51.2 86.3(0.04) (0.06) (0.06) (0.01) (0.18) (0.78) (0.006) (4.0) (0.05) (0.7) (15.5) (1.90) (1.9)

Yc2 8.49 7.43 4.67 4.35 5.32 35.88 2.10 157.2 4.71 184.0 226 50.1 92.3(0.01) (0.06) (0.06) (0.01) (0.15) (0.29) (0.015) (1.0) (0.03) (8.4) (8.3) (2.93) (6.7)

Yc3 9.03 8.1 4.53 4.25 6.36 34.66 2.08 183.6 4.46 128.2 446 55.5 71.7(0.06) (0.10) (0.06) (0.01) (0.16) (1.44) (0.020) (10.8) (0.20) (1.7) (14.6) (0.29) (6.1)

Yc4 8.83 7.83 4.67 4.30 6.10 36.42 2.01 146.2 5.31 108.7 417 58.1 74.6(0.06) (0.06) (0.06) (0.05) (0.12) (0.52) (0.015) (8.6) (0.55) (0.8) (27.5) (2.50) (0.5)

mean value 9.02 8.04 5.52 4.37 5.87 36.13 2.07 168.2 5.22 188.5 403 48.6 73.9(0.49) (0.53) (1.33) (0.05) (0.47) (2.35) (0.07) (23.2) (0.57) (51.3) (66.7) (8.72) (19.6)

experimentalpurees:

Yd 8.87 8.47 4.33 4.37 6.72 32.69 2.28 149.1 4.46 205.1 306 28.7 26.9(0.06) (0.06) (0.06) (0.04) (0.10) (0.52) (0.006) (2.5) (0.56) (2.1) (4.7) (3.25) (1.7)

Ye 9.02 7.93 4.07 4.42 6.66 34.38 2.43 230.6 8.51 389.7 327 36.5 172.0(0.10) (0.06) (0.06) (0.04) (0.14) (0.51) (0.006) (0.6) (0.36) (1.9) (6.6) (1.78) (8.9)


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protein), and re ect a substantial standardization of the industrial processing technologies.

Experimental pulpsThe data regarding the general composition of the experimental pulps (dry matter, Brix, pH, total acidity, reducing sugars and a*/b*), were within the ranges of the com-mercial products.The pulp samples obtained with the pilot plant from the two tomato varieties used in this study (Xd and Xe) had much higher ascorbic acid concentration values than those found in the commercial products. The lycopene concentration was also higher than that determined in the commercial pulps. The Xe sample had very high concentra-tions of lycopene and ascorbic acid, which are typical of the raw mate-rial (Table 1). On the contrary, the total polyphenol and rutin values of the experimental pulps were similar to the lower values detected in the commercial products. The furosine level of the experimental pulps was higher than that of the commercial pulps, especially for sample Xd. This was probably due to the steri-

lization treatment performed in a static bath at 100C, which was more severe than that applied at the industrial level.

Commercial tomato pureesAnalysis of the commercial purees (Table 3) shows that the dry mat-ter value was higher than in the pulps with an average of 9 g/100 g (between 8.32 and 9.78 g/100 g), and the Brix value ranged be-tween 7.33 and 8.83 (average val-ue 8.04). The NaCl content was higher than in the pulps and var-ied between 3.26 and 8.07 g/kg.The pH value of the pulp samples was homogeneous (average value 4.37) as was the titratable acidity (average value 5.87 g/kg), which is similar to that observed in the pulps. The reducing sugar values varied a little, between 32.87 and 40.61 g/kg, with an average value slightly higher than that of the pulps.The colour index (a*/b*) values of the purees were very similar, with an average value of 2.07. The lyc-opene content of the commercial purees ranged between 127.4 and 196.3 mg/kg, while the b-carotene

content varied between 4.54 and 6.58 mg/kg (average values of 168.2 and 5.22 mg/kg, respec-tively). These data were similar to those obtained for the pulps. Ascorbic acid concentration val-ues showed some variability (be-tween 108.7 and 259.5 mg/kg, average value 188.5 mg/kg) and were generally higher than those in commercial pulps.The total polyphenol and rutin values were higher than those ob-served in the pulps and had less variability. The average furosine concentration was 73.9 mg/100 g protein and the spread was rela-tively low; sample Ya4 was an ex-ception with a much higher con-centration (120 mg/100 g protein).

Experimental pureesThe compositional data of the ex-perimental purees Yd and Ye were within the variability range ob-served in the commercial products with the exception of the NaCl concentration that was slightly lower, the total acidity which was slightly higher and the colour in-dex which was signi cantly higher.The pilot plant purees had high lycopene concentrations, similar to those found in the correspond-ing pulps; a particularly high value was recorded in sample Ye obtained from the high-lycopene tomato variety. The `-carotene content was similar to that of the experimental pulps and was within the range observed in the commercial purees.The concentration of ascorbic acid was very high in sample Ye, as already observed in the pulps. The total polyphenol values were slightly higher than those ob-tained in the corresponding pulps; the concentrations were lower than those found in the com-

Table 4Comparison of different brands of commercial tomato pulp and puree (data expressed on dry weight).

NaCl Reducing sugars Lycopene `-carotene Ascorbic acid Total phenolics Rutin(g/kg dw) (g/kg dw) (mg/kg dw) (mg/kg dw) (mg/kg dw) (mg/kg dw) (mg/kg dw)

products:Xa (n=6) 45.0 bc 396.5 ab 1673 a 52.0 a 1404 b 3628 a 262.5 aXb (n=4) 17.7 a 416.9 c 2004 c 47.6 a 1512 b 4735 b 270.3 aXc (n=3) 39.4 b 379.6 a 1932 bc 55.7 a 1014 a 5499 c 298.7 aYa (n=6) 70.5 e 400.9 bc 1744 ab 59.0 a 2283 c 4687 b 615.5 cYb (n=5) 56.2 d 393.1 ab 1924 c 58.7 a 2366 c 4385 b 393.9 bYc (n=4) 54.9 cd 409.1 bc 1953 c 54.8 a 1414 b 4238 b 618.4 c

F ratio 20.68 3.04 4.75 2.00 34.17 8.18 127.6p *** * *** ns *** *** ***

n = number of lots examined;n.s. = not signi cant; * p

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mercial products. Rutin values were lower than those found in the commercial purees and were signi cantly higher than those of the commercial pulps. The furo-sine values for samples Yd and Ye were 26.9 and 172.0 mg/100 g protein, respectively. This marked difference was presumably due to a prolonged heat treatment of sample Ye.

Statistical evaluationTo analyse the variability of the parameters considered, the data were submitted to one-way ANO-VA and multiple range test using the LSD (Least Signi cant Differ-ence) procedure; the samples were grouped by brand and product type (pulp and purees).In comparing products with differ-ent concentrations of solids, all the data refer to the dry weight (Table 4). The analysis was conducted on the parameters of greater nutri-tional signi cance: NaCl, reducing

sugars and the antioxidant com-ponents. The results show a sig-ni cant effect (p

TOMATO


variance 41%). The second com-ponent (explained variance 17%) distinguishes sample Ye (experi-mental sample particularly high in lycopene, `-carotene and ascorbic acid) from the other products.Fig. 2 (Bi-plot) shows how the loading plot (descriptors) is su-perimposed on the mapping of the samples (Fig. 1, score plot). As can be seen, pulp samples on the right of the rst component are characterised by lower scores of all the parameters considered. On the contrary, the puree sam-ples are richer in polyphenols, NaCl, reducing sugars, rutin and dry matter and have higher pH and Brix values. Along the sec-ond dimension, the Xe, and in particular the Ye samples, differ from the others due to the high lycopene, ascorbic acid, colour index and furosine values. These values are dependent on the raw material used and on the sterilisa-tion process applied.

DISCUSSIONAND CONCLUSION

The data obtained in this study show that, although there was some variability in the composition of commercial tomato products, the nutritional values were quite homo-geneous, especially when considered on a dry weight basis. With respect to the concentration of reducing sugars, all products ranged between 379 and 409 g/kg dw, regardless of the kind of product and the brand; the same was observed for lycopene (ranging from 1,673 and 2,004 mg/kg dw) and b-carotene (from 47.6 to 59 mg/kg dw). Some differences be-tween the samples were found in the NaCl content, which was higher in the tomato purees in order to meet sensory requirements; ascorbic acid also seemed to be higher in tomato puree, which could have been due to the different industrial stabili-sation treatments applied to these products. During this study, time-

temperature process pro les were examined for the industrial lines of tomato pulp and tomato puree (the evaluation was carried out in a factory of producer a); the sterilisa-tion treatment of tomato pulp was carried out at 118C for 30 min, whereas the sterilisation treatment of tomato puree was carried out at 92C for 10 min. This difference is due to the fact that, in the case of pulp, the core of the solid pieces in the can must reach the nal tem-perature, while in tomato puree, the product is rapidly heated to the sterilisation temperature in a heat exchanger and then hot- lled. The holding time and entire treatment time are therefore much shorter. Various studies have shown that ascorbic acid can be degraded dur-ing tomato processing, depending on the severity of the heat treatment (Abushita et al., 2000; Giovanelli et al., 2001; Zanoni et al., 2003; Sah-lin et al., 2004). Lower ascorbic acid concentrations in tomato pulp sam-

Fig. 2 - Principal Component Bi-plot: loading plot superimposed over score plot from analytical parameters of tomato pulp (X) and puree (Y) samples.


TOMATO


ples can be ascribed, at least in part, to the above-described differences in the sterilisation process.With regard to polyphenols, signi -cant differences in rutin concentra-tions were observed between pulps and purees. Rutin (quercetin-3-rutinoside) is the most representa-tive avonoid in tomatoes and it has been shown that flavonoids are located mainly in the skins (Stewart et al., 2000). The higher rutin concentration in tomato pu-ree can again be attributed to the technology used. The tomatoes are peeled before processing to give tomato pulp, while tomato puree is obtained by crushing and re n-ing whole tomatoes, with a subse-quent higher extraction from the peels. The rutin concentrations found in commercial Italian prod-ucts were consistent with those re-ported by Stewart et al. (2000) for tomato puree. The PCA analysis con rmed these observations. The purees could be distinguished from the pulps by a higher solid concen-tration (which means higher values for reducing sugars, Brix and solid content). These results correspond to somewhat higher concentrations in antioxidant components (lyco-pene, `-carotene, ascorbic acid, to-tal polyphenols and rutin).In general, the levels of antioxidant substances in pulps and purees ob-tained from the pilot-scale produc-tion were correlated with corre-sponding raw materials, as reported in Table 1. These results show that industrial processing preserves, in part, the nutritional characteristics of the raw material.It can be concluded that the carote-noid composition of Italian tomato pulps and purees, which are the main forms of domestic consump-tion of tomato preserves, varies over a relatively narrow range, especially

when considered on a dry weight basis, and depends mostly on the antioxidant concentration of the raw material. Tomato purees generally have a higher ascorbic acid and ru-tin concentration, depending upon the technological process adopted. These data can be used to compile a more complete nutritional character-isation of Italian tomato preserves.

From Italian Journal of Food Sciencenr. 3/2009

REFERENCES

Abushita A.A., Hebshi E.A., Daood H.G. and Biacs P.A. 1997. Determination of antioxidant vitamins in tomatoes. Food Chem. 60: 207.

Abushita A.A., Daood H.G. and Biacs P.A. 2000. Change in carotenoids and anti-oxidant vitamins in tomato as a function of varietal and technological factors. J. Agric. Food Chem. 48: 2075.

AOAC 2002. Of cial Methods of Analysis 17th ed. Association of Of cial Analyti-cal Chemists, Washington, DC.

Beecher G.R. 1998. Nutrient content of tomatoes and tomato products. Proc. Soc. Experim. Biol. Med. 218: 98.

Charanjeet K., Binoy G., Deepa N., Balraj S. and Kapoor H.C. 2004. Antioxidant status of fresh and processed tomato- a review. J. Food Sci. Technol. 41: 479.

Davies J.N. and Hobson G.E. 1981. The con-stituents of tomato fruit The in uence of environment, nutrition, and genotype. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr.15: 215.

Erhardt J.G., Meisner C., Bode J.C. and Bode C. 2003. Lycopene, b-carotene, and colorectal adenomas. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 78: 1219.

Frusciante L., Carli P., Ercolano M.R., Per-nice R., Di Matteo A., Fogliano V. and Pellegrini N. 2007. Antioxidant nutri-tional quality of tomato. Molec. Nutr. Food Res. 51: 609.

Giovanelli G., Lavelli V., Peri C. and No-bili S. 1999. Variation in antioxidant compounds of tomato during vine and post-harvest ripening. J. Sci. Food Agric. 81: 1101.

Giovanelli G., Lavelli V., Peri C., Pagliarini E., Zanoni B. and Spigno P. 2001. The antioxidant activity of tomato. III. Effects of processing technologies on oxidative and heat damage. Acta Hor-

tic. 542: 217.Giovanelli G., Zanoni B., Lavelli V. and Nani

R. 2002. Water sorption, drying and antioxidant properties of dried tomato products. J. Food Engin. 52: 135.

Giovannucci E. 1999. Tomatoes, tomato-based products, lycopene and cancer Review of the epidemiologic literature. J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 91: 317.

Hidalgo A. and Pompei C. 2000. Hy-droxymethylfurfural and furosine reac-tion kinetics in tomato products. J. Agric. Food Chem. 48: 4387.

ISMEA Istituto di Servizi per il Mercato Agricolo Alimentare. 2004. Filiera ortof-rutta (maggio 2004).

Lenucci M.S., Cadinu D., Taurino M., Piro G., Dalessandro G. 2006. Antioxidant compo-sition in cherry and high-pigment tomato cultivars. J. Agric. Food Chem. 54: 2606.

Leonardi C., Ambrosino P., Esposito F. and Fogliano V. 2000. Antioxidant activity and carotenoid and tomatine contents in different typologies of fresh consumption tomatoes. J. Agric. Food Chem. 48: 4723.

Nguyen M.L. and Schwartz S.J. 1999. Lyco-pene: chemical and biological properties. Food Technol. 53: 38.

Pandey D.K., Shekelle R., Selwyn B.J., Tangney C. and Stamler J. 1995. Dietary vitamin C and `-carotene and risk of death in middle-aged men. Am. J. Epi-demiol. 142: 1269.

Porretta S. 1991. Il controllo della qualit nei derivati del pomodoro. SSICA, Stazione Sperimentale per lIndustria delle conserve Alimentari in Parma, Parma, Italy.

Rao A.V. and Argawal S., 2000. Role of antioxidant lycopene in cancer and heart disease. J. Am. College Nutr. 19: 563.

Riso P., Brusamolino P. and Porrini M. 2003. Tomato and cancer. In Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals in Cancer Prevention. R.R. Watson (Ed.) pp. 133-148. Iowa State Press, Ames, IO.

Sahlin E., Savage G.P. and Lister C.E. 2004. Investigation of the antioxidant proper-ties of tomatoes after processing. J. Food Anal. Comp. 17: 635.

Stewart A.J., Bozonnet S., Mullen W., Jenkins G.I., Lean M.E.J. and Crozier A. 2000. Occurrence of flavonols in tomatoes and tomato-based products. J. Agric. Food Chem. 48: 2663.

Willcox J.K., Catignani G.L. and Lazarus S. 2003. Tomatoes and cardiovascular health. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 43: 1.

Zanoni B., Pagliarini E., Giovanelli G. and Lavelli V. 2003. Modelling the effects of thermal sterilization on the quality of tomato puree. J. Food Engin. 56: 203.



FRUIT

INTRODUCTION

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a com-mercially important crop in many Countries, well adapted to soil and climate in all temperate re-gions of the world. It is considered a climacteric fruit and changes of chemical composition occur quickly during the ripening proc-ess (Arts et al., 1993; Bower etal., 2002).Softening is a universal feature in the ripening of eshy fruits and is typically accompanied by degra-dation of the middle lamella and loss of cell adhesion. This process derives from the solubilization of cell wall pectin involving the ac-tion of some cell wall hydrolytic enzymes, pectin methylesterase (PME, EC 3.1.1.11) and polyga-lacturonase (PG, EC 3.2.1.15). During fruit ripening PME cleaves the methyl esters from pectin pro-ducing methanol, pectin with a low degree of esteri cation, and

free acid. Decreasing levels of esteri cation are crucial to the softening of fruits, making pec-tin highly susceptible to degrada-tion by endo-acting enzymes. PG catalyses the hydrolytic cleavage of _-(1,4)- galacturonan linkages (Chisari et al., 2009).The aim of the present work was to characterize PME and PG deg-radative activities in two groups of fresh-cut melon (Cucumis melo cantalupensis cv Charentais and inodorus cv Amarillo) harvested at commercial ripening in order to optimize the storage conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Melons (Cucumis melo L.) belong-ing to var. inodorus (cv Amarillo) and cantalupensis (cv Charentais) were obtained, on the day of harvest, from local producers in the area of Catania (Sicily, Italy).

M. CHISARI* - R.N. BARBAGALLO* - G. SPAGNADipartimento di Orto-Floro-Arboricoltura e Tecnologie Alimentari (DOFATA)Sez. Tecnologie Agroalimentari - Universit di CataniaVia S. So a 98 - 98123 Catania - Italy *e-mail: [email protected]

BEHAVIOR OF PECTINASES EXTRACTED

FROM MINIMALLY PROCESSED

FRESH-CUT MELONSKey words: fresh-cut melon, pectin methylesterase, polygalacturonase,

enzyme characterization

ABSTRACT

Fresh-cut fruit is a segment of food industry that is developing fast due

to the fact that it is a convenient food and has a fresh-like quality.

However, the fresh-cut product is easily corrupted by some pectinases

(pectin methylesterase, PME and polygalacturonase, PG especially)

because in these technological conditions the enzymatic reactions tend to accelerate with consequent consistency loss of cell walls. Thus,

to understand the mechanisms of degradation is necessary to know the

behaviour of pectinases according to the environmental changes. PME and PG were extracted from fresh-cut cubes (2x2x2 cm) of two melon cultivars (Cucumis melo cantalupensis

cv Charentais and inodorus cv Amarillo) harvested at commercial ripening (37 days after anthesis for

Charentais and 45 days for Amarillo) and characterized using reliable

spectrophotometric methods. Both enzymes followed the Michaelis-

Menten kinetics. The PME activity at physiological pH value of melons

(7.0) was 100% in both cultivars, while the residual PG was 91% in Charentais and 100% in Amarillo.

Optimal temperature of activity was 40C for PME and 60C for PG in

both cultivars. PME was much more thermolabile compared with PG and

above all in Amarillo, loosing over 90% of relative activity after only 5

minutes of incubation at 70C. PME activation energy resulted then much

higher than PG. Inhibition tests by sugars (D-glucose and D-fructose)

evidenced a decreasing course of both activities as D-fructose

concentration in the assay medium increased.

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FRUIT


Fruits were harvested at com-mercial ripening (37 days after anthesis for Charentais and 45 days for Amarillo) immediately transported to the laboratory and stored overnight at 10C. The un-processed fruits were surface dis-infected with 80% ethanol and placed in a laminar flow hood that was also sanitized with etha-nol. All materials used for cutting and handling the fruits were con-tinually disinfected and metallic surfaces were amed at regular intervals.Fruits were sliced horizontally into halves with a sharp knife. Seeds were removed and the fruit cavity was cleaned. Each half was cut at the exposed end into four equal slices. Then the skins were removed and each slice was cut into approximately 2x2x2 cm cubes using a stainless steel knife. The melon cubes were stored at 5C and 95% RH in transparent polystirene baskets with a capac-ity of 500 g, in the same way that they are usually exposed in super-market displays.PME and PG activities were deter-mined in extracts prepared using a modi ed version of the method of Stevens et al. (2004). A 10 g sam-ple was placed in a becher with 40 mL of extracting solution (0.1 M citrate-phosphate buffer pH 7.0, 1 M NaCl, 1 mM dithiotreitol). The mixture was blended for 10 min with an Ultraturrax T25 system at speed 3 (16,000 rpm) and centri-fuged at 4,000 x g for 20 min at 4C. The supernatant was ltered under vacuum with Buchner fun-nel through Whatman No. 4 pa-per, and the clari ed supernatant was used as crude extract.PME activity was determined ac-cording to the method proposed

by Fachin et al. (2002). The reac-tion mixture consisted of 1,000 mL of sample and 30 mL of a 1% apple pectin solution (90% esterification) containing 200 mM NaCl. Before injection of en-zyme solution, the pectin solution was adjusted to pH 7.0. During hydrolysis at 22C, the pH was maintained at 7.0 by addition of 0.01 M NaOH. Every minute the consumption of 0.01 M NaOH was recorded during a 20 min re-action time. The PME activity is proportional to the rate of con-sumption of NaOH and can be expressed in units (U), de ned as moles of acid produced per gram of fresh tissue per minute at pH 7 and 22C.PG activity assay was based on the release of reducing groups produced by PG and measured us-ing a spectrophotometric method (Gross, 1982). One hundred mil-liliters of the extracted enzyme solution was incubated with 0.3 mL of 0.5% (v/v) polygalacturonic acid at 35C for 30 min. To stop the reaction, 2 mL of 0.1 M borate buffer, pH 9.0 and 0.4 mL of 1% (v/v) cyanoacetamide were added to the reaction mixture and boiled for 10 min. After cooling, the ab-sorbance was measured at 295 nm and 25C. Enzyme activity was ex-pressed as moles of galacturonic acid reducing equivalent per gram per minute. D-galacturonic acid was used as standard. Blank sam-

ples were determined in the same way without addition of enzyme. Each sample was measured in triplicate.PME and PG were then charac-terized in order to determine: kinetic parameters (Vmax and Km) explained by the Michaelis-Menten equation and calculated by hyperbolic regression analysis (Lineweaver and Burk, 1934) and thermal stability; optimum condi-tions of pH (from 4.0 to 8.0) and temperature (between 30 and 70C); inhibition by sugars (D-glucose and D-fructose up to 5 M and 2 M for PME and PG inhibi-tion tests, respectively) according to the procedures described by Chisari et al. (2008).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Both enzymes followed the Michaelis-Menten kinetics and Lineweaver-Burk interpolation was linear, with r2 values rang-ing from 0.90 to 0.93 for PME extracted from var. cantalupensis(cv Charentais) and inodorus (cvAmarillo) melon, respectively, and from 0.91 to 0.96 for PG extract-ed from inodorus and cantalupensismelon, respectively.Table 1 reports the kinetic pa-rameters Vmax and Km. The mo-lar extinction coef cient () was 1,554 and 1,527 M-1cm-1 for

Table 1Kinetic parameters of pectin methylesterase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PG) extract from melon cv Amarillo and Charentais.

Kinetic PME PG PME PGparameters inodorus cantalupensis (cv Amarillo) (cv Charentais)Km (%) 0,1560,006 0,2390,024 0,1820,014 0,0490,005

Vmax (Ug-1) 0,2720,04 300,964.0 0,2570,07 188,931,38


FRUIT


PME, 8,311 and 8,411 M-1cm-1for PG in cantalupensis and inodorusmelon, respectively.Table 2 shows thermal activation parameters of both pectinases. PME activation energy resulted much higher than PG. Moreover, PME was much more thermola-bile compared with PG, above all in cv Amarillo.As it is possible to notice in Fig. 1, PME optimal temperature was 60C in both cultivars; at the lowest temperature among those tested (30C), the residual activ-ity was 54 and 71%, while at 75C was 80 and 91% in Charentais and Amarillo, respectively, con- rming the high stability of PME

in melons. PG optimal tempera-ture was 40C in both cultivars; at 25C, an activity of 79% and 69% was observed in Charentais and Amarillo, respectively, while at 60C the residual activity was 82% in both cultivars.The PME activity at physiologi-cal pH value of melons (7.0) was

100% in both cultivars, while the residual PG was 91% in Charentais and 100% in Amarillo (Fig. 2).Inhibition tests were carried out in order to verify the enzymatic behavior in presence of D-glucose and D-fructose in the assay medi-um (Figg. 3-4). PME was inhib-ited by both sugars, with a most

Fig. 1a - Effect of temperature on pectin methylesterase (PME) activity from melon cv. Amarillo and Charentais.

Fig. 1b - Effect of temperature on polygalacturonase (PG) activities from melon cv. Amarillo and Charentais.

Fig. 2a - Effect of pH on pectin methylesterase (PME) activity from melon cv. Amarillo and Charentais.

Fig. 2b - Effect of pH on polygalacturonase (PG) activity from melon cv. Amarillo and Charentais.

Table 2Main thermal activation parameters of pectin methylesterase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PG) extract from melon cv Amarillo and Charentais.

Kinetic PME PG PME PGparameters inodorus cantalupensis (cvcv Amarillo) (cvcv Charentais)6E (J mol-1) 183154 81324 59265 339436H (J mol-1) 18042578.2 7851261.9 5653660.6 3113129.76G (J mol-1) 356077 360702 353575 3622856S (J mol-1K-1) -533.911.8 -833.913.8 -904.7 13.7 -979.09.4


FRUIT


relevant effect in Charentais, in which a 5 M sugar concentration caused decrease of activity of 75 and 68% for glucose and fructose, respectively. On the other hand, Amarillo showed much higher re-sidual activity at the same sugar concentration (68 and 53% for glucose and fructose inhibition). An activation of PG by glucose was noticed in both cultivars, while it was inhibited by increas-ing concentrations of fructose. At 2 M fructose concentration, PG residual activity was 64 and 43% in Charentais and Amarillo, respectively.

REFERENCES

Arts F., Escriche A.J., Martnez J.A., Marn J.A., 1993. Quality factors in four varie-ties of melon (Cucumis melo L.). J. Food Qual., 16: 91-100.

Bower J., Holford P., Latch A., Pech J.C., 2002. Culture conditions and detachment of the fruit in uence the effect of ethylene on the climacteric respiration of melon. Postharvest Biol. Technol., 26: 135-146.

Chisari M., Barbagallo R.N., Spagna G., 2008. Characterization and role of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase in browning of fresh-cut melon. J. Agric. Food Chem., 56: 132-138.

Chisari M., Silveira A.C., Barbagallo R.N., Spagna G., Arts F., 2009. Ripening stage in uenced the expression of polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, pectin methylesterase and polygalacturonase melon cultivars.

Int. J. Food Sci. Technol., 44: 940-946.

Fachin D., Van Loey A.M., Ly Nguyen B., Verlent I., Indrawati, Hendrickx M.E., 2002. Comparative study of the inactiva-tion kinetics of pectinmethylesterase in tomato juice and puri ed form. Biotech-nol. Prog., 18: 739-744.

Gross K.C., 1982. A rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric method for assaying polygalacturonase using 2-cyanoaceta-mide. Hort. Sci., 17: 922-934.

Lineweaver H. and Burk D., 1934. The de-termination of enzyme dissociation con-stants. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 56: 658-666.

Stevens C., Liu J., Khan V.A., Lu Y.J., Ka-bwe M.K., Wilson C.L., Igwegbe E.C.K., Chalutz E., Droby S., 2004. The effect of low-dose ultraviolet light-C treatment on polygalacturonase activity, delay ripening and Rhizopus soft rot development of to-matoes. Crop Prot., 23: 551-554.

Fig. 3a - Effect of glucose on pectin methylesterase (PME) activity from melon cv. Amarillo and Charentais.

Fig. 4a - Effect of glucose on polygalacturonase (PG) activity from melon cv. Amarillo and Charentais.

Fig. 3b - Effect of fructose on pectin methylesterase (PME) activity from melon cv. Amarillo and Charentais.

Fig. 4b - Effect of fructose on polygalacturonase (PG) activity from melon cv. Amarillo and Charentais.

21_24_Barbagallo.indd 2421_24_Barbagallo.indd 24 06/10/10 15:4106/10/10 15:41

Complete processing plants for semi-nished fruit juices by hot and cold technology

Fruit creams and pulpy juicesNectars treatment and preparing plants Syrup rooms Processing total automationAseptic treatments for concentrates, creams, juices fruit

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RESEARCH

IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN ANTIOXIDANT INTAKE AND REDUCED INCIDENCE OF ALLERGY IN CHILDREN?

Patel et al. of the University of Manchester have conducted a study, the aim of which was to try and answer the ques-

tion of whether or not there is a link between dietary antioxi-dant consumption and allergy in children. The article has re-

cently been published in Aller-gy: European Journal of Aller-gy in children.A number of theories have been put forward to try to ex-plain why the incidence of al-lergies is on the increase in Western society. Such theo-ries include pollution and envi-ronmental factors, eating more varied diets and being too clean. None of these has as yet been conclusively linked, but it is thought that they may all play a role. The team from Manchester University have been looking into these theo-ries and have found that there is a lack of studies looking at the potential protective quali-ties of antioxidants and wheth-er they have a role in the pre-vention of allergy development when consumed during child-hood. They comment that most studies in the area looking at links to childhood consump-tion have focussed on individ-ual types of food and not total intakes of antioxidants. There have been studies looking into the effects of antioxidant sup-plementation on allergic dis-eases in adults, but these con-cluded that there were no ben-eficial effects. This suggests that whole foods may play an important role rather than just the individual components.The team aimed to assess whether antioxidant intake measured at the age of 5 years was related to allergic sensitisation and allergic dis-eases at 5 and 8 years of age. The team used a semi-quantitative Food Frequency

Questionnaire (FFQ) to deter-mine dietary intakes, which the parents of 861 children were asked to complete. They also took blood samples from 496 of the participating chil-dren at 5 years of age to de-termine IgE levels. Mean nutri-ent intakes were also calculat-ed.The results of the study showed that children with higher be-ta-carotene intakes had a re-duced risk of sensitisation, and therefore a reduced risk of de-veloping an allergy. Sensitisa-tion was measured using the skin prick method, and the chil-dren were tested for sensitisa-tion to several things including grasses, milk and egg. Beta-carotene was also significantly negatively associated with se-rum IgE concentrations. The team also found that at 5 years of age, high vitamin E intakes were associated with a high-er risk of sensitisation. This was not true of the children at 8 years of age however.The Authors concluded that beta-carotene may well play a protective role in the case of al-lergies. A possible explanation is that diets are not as healthy as they used to be, with de-creased intake of green veg-etables and potatoes, which are key contributors of beta-carotene. Their results indi-rectly support the theory that a decrease in antioxidant con-sumption (in this case beta-car-otene) can increase risk of sen-sitisation, and therefore the de-velopment of allergy.

RSSL

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FOOD GAS SENSOR COULD SHOW WHEN FRUIT IS RIPE AND MEAT FRESH

A new sensor that analyses gases given off by foods could be used to check their safety, quality and reliability quick-ly and economically, said the German research team be-hind the device. Food suppli-ers could accurately gauge the ripeness of fruit stored in a warehouse to know when best to deliver it to a supermar-ket or whether fish or meat is still fresh, team member Mark Buecking told FoodProduc-tionoaily.com.Developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institutes for Mo-

lecular biology and Applied Ecology IME and the Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in Freiburg (Germany), the nov-el system uses volatile compo-nents to check for characteris-tics such as ripeness or fresh-ness. Using either a hand-held or fixed device, a sensor with a surface heated to high temper-atures analyses the gas emitted by food before displaying col-our-coded results on a screen; green for optimum level of ripe-ness or freshness; yellow to in-dicate it is not quite ready, and red to show either the produce

needs more time to mature or has spoiled in the case of meat or fish.We have brought together various technologies based on the use of metal oxide sen-sors, similar to those installed in cars, for example, to close ventilation vents when driving through a tunnel, said Bueck-ing. Researchers at IPM have developed these sensors fur-ther. If a gas flows over the sen-sor, at temperatures of 300 to 400C, it will burn at the point of contact. The subsequent ex-change of electrons changes the electrical conductivity. It is this change that allows the in-strument to evaluate the gases and come up with a reading.Buecking explained that be-fore the gas reaches these sen-

sors, it has to go through a separation column with poly-mers that filters out substances and allows them to analysed individually or disregarded if they play no part in the proc-ess. The analytical software, contained in a so-called black box, can be changed or recal-ibrated according to the food being checked.The group has already devel-oped a prototype and the sys-tem is currently being tested in the German pork sector. The project aims to develop an on-line device used on the slaugh-ter line that is able to detect an unpleasant off-flavour in male pigs, known as boar taint, which can arise as a result of the production of sexual hor-mones.

BIOFILMS HAVE A NEW FOIL

Listeria monocytogenes - a foodborne pathogen - has been found in some ready-to-eat meats. It causes serious ill-ness in about 2,500 people each year, resulting in 500 deaths.Though L. monocytogenes is killed by cooking or pasteur-ization, it can survive many chemicals used in in-plant san-itation programs. Thus, food can be contaminated during or after processing. The path-ogens ability to grow at low temperatures may allow its growth in or on raw or improp-erly processed ready-to-eat foods even when they are re-frigerated.

One source of contamination is work surfaces of process-ing plants where meat prod-ucts are made. ARS micro-biologist J. Arnold at the Poul-try Microbiological Safety Re-search Unit in Athens, Geor-gia, has been looking for im-proved methods to control bi-ofilms containing L. monocy-togenes. Any method needs to be acceptable to the U.S. En-vironmental Protection Agency.Biofilms are protective layers of proteins and polysaccha-rides that surround bacteria and stick to equipment surfac-es. These protective shields trap spoilage bacteria and oth-er pathogens that contaminate

food during processing, and they resist cleaning and sani-tizing, says Arnold. Todays longer production runs provide more opportunity for biofilms to establish themselves, and to-days longer shelf life adds to the risk of biological contam-ination.In collaboration with Sterilex Corporation of Owings Mills, Maryland, Arnold has tested a proprietary formulation based on alkaline peroxide and phase-transfer chemistry that appears to be a cost-ef-fective disinfectant for use in environments for poultry and meat production and process-ing. The formulation uses multi-ple chemical and physical ac-tions to penetrate a biofilm, kill the microorganisms, and re-

move the biofilm from surfac-es. It was tested against multi-ple disinfectants for killing and removal of L. monocytogenes biofilm.Results showed that the for-mulation was 100% effective, providing total kill and more



RESEARCH

ALLERGENIC PROTEINS IN TOMATO AND THE SAFETY OF TOMATO PRODUCTS

A team led by Valerio Pravet-toni of the Clinical Allergy and Immunology Unit, IRCCS in Milan has recently conducted a study looking into the pro-teins responsible for tomato allergy. The paper has been published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chem-istry. Global production of to-matoes has increased dramat-ically over recent decades. Consumption increased by

an average of 4.5% per year between 1990 and 2004 and production has reached around 120 million tonnes in 2002/4. This is thought to be due to an increased aware-ness of the health benefits as-sociated with tomatoes includ-ing the possibility that they may help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease. Tomato has also become a

well-known allergen, and sev-eral studies have confirmed that there is an association be-tween individuals with birch pollen allergy and oral allergy syndrome (OAS) caused by tomato. Several tomato aller-gens have been characterised in fresh tomato such as Lyc e 1 which is a profilin, and Lyc e 2 and Lyc e 3 which are a lip-id transfer proteins (LTP).One of the aims of the current study was to look at the aller-gy potential of processed to-mato products and the clinical relevance of tomato LTP, since both these topics have been overlooked in previous re-search. To do so, the Authors recruited about 40 subjects all of whom had confirmed toma-to allergy, diagnosed either from a skin prick test or from medical history. The severity of the allergy varied within the group.The results of the study showed that tomato LTP was clinical-ly relevant, as it was recog-nised by 15% of the patients, and generally these patients suffered with the most severe allergy. They also found that LTPs were present in peel, pulp and seed of the toma-

to, the amino acid sequenc-es of which corresponded to the previously mentioned Lyc e 3. It was also found that the derivative products they test-ed (canned, peeled toma-toes, tomato puree) contained an IgE-binding protein which was found to be an LTP. On-ly patients with LTP-sensitisa-tion were found to have al-lergic reactions to the tomato derivative products. The Au-thors felt that this was to be ex-pected, as thermal processing which occurs during produc-tion of these derivatives would denature many of the other al-lergenic proteins, but not LTP, as has been demonstrated in previous studies.The Authors claim that sever-al useful conclusions can be drawn from their findings, in-cluding the fact that those with more severe tomato aller-gy may be allergic to the LTP. This means they are also like-ly to have severe reactions to tomato derivatives and not just to fresh tomato. Using these derivatives in skin prick tests could prove to be an effective method of identifying those with LTP allergy.

RSSL

FOOD TATTOOS FOR IDENTIFYING FRUIT

Those small and sometimes in-convenient sticky labels on pro-duce may eventually be re-placed by laser tattoo tech-nology now being tested by Agricultural Research Service

(ARS) and University of Florida (UFL) scientists.Called laser etching, the new technology puts a tattoo on grapefruit and other produce so it can be identified at the

than 90% biofilm removal, says Arnold. This disinfectant is more effective than current-ly used disinfectants in reduc-ing L. monocytogenes biofilm growth, thus minimizing the risk

of pathogenic contamination. Test evaluations also result-ed in instructions for use that will meet USDA zero toler-ance regulations for L. mono-cytogenes.



supermarket checkout lines. The technology was invented by former UFL scientist Greg Drouillard, now with Sunkist Growers. Grapefruit has al-ways been labeled with sticky paper labels that mar the fruit

and stick to one another in stor-age. The labels are also easi-ly removed, making it more dif-ficult to track a piece of pro-duce back to the source if the need arises.Microbiologist Jan Narciso at the

Documents

ITALIAN FOOD TECHNOLOGY 61/2010