Identifying ideal tomato attributes; Alternative protein challenges

Identifying ideal tomato attributes
Different consumers prefer different qualities in their tomatoes, and identifying these attributes can help tomato growers predict tomatoes with characteristics that various consumers will like, according to a Journal of Food Science study.

In the study, trained panelists documented appearance, flavor, and texture attributes of tomatoes across three stages: appearance (stage 1), slicing (stage 2), and consumption (stage 3). Drivers of liking for stage 1 were color intensity, even outside color, and overall aroma, while drivers of liking at stage 2 were wetness/juiciness and overall aroma. For stage 3, drivers of liking were wetness/juiciness, seed presence, ripe flavor, and sweet and umami tastes. Overall liking was highest during the appearance portion of the test and lowest during the consumption portion.

In addition, researchers identified four clusters of tomato consumers. Cluster 1 preferred tomatoes with even color, higher color intensity, and flavor intensity, while cluster 2 preferred firm tomatoes. Cluster 3 preferred tomatoes that were soft and at peak ripeness, and the researchers note that this cluster also had the highest liking scores for all tomatoes. Cluster 4 consumers generally consumed tomatoes in sandwiches and preferred tomatoes with even and intense color. According to the authors, “Attributes intrinsic to a tomato variety can be selected by tomato growers to maximize acceptance to either a larger group of consumers or selected to address the desires of a targeted consumer group.”

Controlled agitation for better green beans
A recent Journal of Food Science study investigated a controlled agitation thermal process intended to improve the quality of canned green beans. Agitation is used in canning to ensure rapid and uniform heat transfer, but it can negatively affect the sensory and quality aspects of vegetables.

In the study, researchers applied reciprocating agitation thermal processing (RA-TP) and stopped agitation after sufficient cold-spot temperatures within the cans were achieved. Green beans were processed in cans filled with liquids of various consistency at various frequencies of RA-TP, and products were processed again by using full-time agitation, equilibration time agitation, and partial-time agitation. Processed products were photographed and tested for visual quality, color, texture, breakage of green beans, turbidity, and percentage of insoluble solids in can liquid. According to the researchers, stopping agitations after sufficient development of cold-spot temperatures is an effective way of reducing product damages caused by agitation, as well as reducing energy consumption during the process.

Consumers choosing healthier foods
Consumers are making positive changes in their diets, but they struggle to find the motivation to put in a great deal of effort, according to research presented by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Rodale at FMI Connect in June.

Compared to the prior year, three-quarters of shoppers switched to a healthier version of at least one type of food, such as yogurt (32%), milk (27%), and bread (26%). Shoppers are also integrating more whole grain (43%), high-fiber (41%), multigrain (39%), all-natural (38%), low-sodium (33%), and unprocessed whole foods (33%) into their diets.

“Many of the findings correlate with some of the broader movements and trends we have seen in the market, namely food as medicine, the importance of eating locally, and the shift from diet food to real, whole foods,” says Melanie Hansche, editor-in-chief of Rodale’s Organic Life. “The growth in organics also reflects the shift to authenticity and provenance that’s part of a bigger story.” 

However, while 82% of U.S. grocery shoppers put at least some effort into healthy eating, only 34% put in “a lot” of effort. Susan Borra, FMI’s chief health and wellness officer and executive director of the FMI Foundation, says that retailers could play an important role in making healthful choices easier for consumers. “Food retailers have the opportunity to help their customers find and distinguish dietary choices, offer weight management solutions, and share convenient meal ideas that help feed families,” she says.

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The future of alternative proteins
Alternative protein sources like insects and microalgae show promise for use in food products, but there are a number of challenges and considerations associated with them, according to a recent IFT webcast titled “Alternative Proteins Progression in Food: Are We There Yet?”

Both microalgae and insects have been recognized for their lowered environmental impacts, but Sergiy Smetana, sustainability/life cycle assessment expert at the German Institute of Food Technologies, cautions that determining environmental benefits of these ingredients isn’t a one-time calculation. Instead, factors such as environmental conditions in the location where they are grown and monetary costs related to production and processing must be taken into account to determine the overall sustainability attributes of individual ingredient sources. Other concerns, such as the allergenicity and toxicity of these ingredients, still need to be evaluated for use in places like Europe, where regulations tend to be more stringent, but the ingredients can already be found in U.S. products such as bars, chips, and drinks.

In addition, the protein quality score of these ingredients must also be determined, and according to David W. Plank, senior technical manager for Medallion Labs and a senior research fellow at the University of Minnesota, the current protein quality testing standard—the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS)—has its own set of challenges, including its high cost, long testing time, and dependence on animal testing. Any company that wishes to include a protein claim on a product must employ this test, meaning that companies that ban animal testing either cannot make protein claims or are out of compliance when they do. An alternative method known as Animal-Safe Accurate Protein (ASAP) Quality Score offers reductions in costs and time, but the method must first be approved for official use. In addition, another method, the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS), which may offer more accurate assessment of protein quality, has been recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Click here to view the webcast. On-demand webcasts are free for IFT members.

Food Prize honors biofortification
The World Food Prize Foundation named Maria Andrade, Robert Mwanga, Jan Low, and Howarth Bouis the 2016 World Food Prize Laureates in recognition of their pioneering work in countering world hunger and malnutrition through biofortification, the process of breeding critical vitamins and micronutrients into staple crops.

“These four extraordinary World Food Prize Laureates have proven that science matters, and that when matched with dedication, it can change people’s lives,” says Gayle Smith, administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). “USAID and our Feed the Future partners are proud to join with renowned research organizations to support critical advances in global food security and nutrition.”

Andrade, Mwanga, and Low of the International Potato Center (CIP) are being honored for their work developing the single most successful example of biofortification—the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP). Andrade and Mwanga, plant scientists in Mozambique and Uganda, bred the vitamin A–enriched OFSP using genetic material from CIP and other sources, while Low structured nutrition studies and programs that convinced almost 2 million households in 10 African countries to plant, purchase, and consume the OFSP.

Over a 25-year period, Bouis, founder of HarvestPlus at the International Food Policy Research Institute, pioneered the implementation of a multi-institutional approach to biofortification as a global plant-breeding strategy. As a result of his leadership, crops such as iron- and zinc-fortified beans, rice, wheat, and pearl millet, along with vitamin A–enriched cassava, maize, and OFSP, are being tested or released in more than 40 countries.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the four Laureates, more than 10 million people are now positively impacted by biofortified crops, with a potential of several hundred million more in the coming decades.

News Bites
• Batory Foods broke ground on the construction of a 678,000-square-foot facility in Wilmington, Ill.

• Ionel Bondoc’s treatise, “Foundations of Veterinary Sanitary and Food Safety Legislation,” was awarded first prize and a gold medal at EUROINVENT 2016.

• Denali Ingredients opened its renovated facility in New Berlin, Wis.

• FONA International is the 15th annual winner of the Food Quality & Safety Award.

• JJ-Muntons opened its new 3,000-square-meter manufacturing facility at Hemaraj Chonburi Industrial Estate in Chonburi, Thailand.

• Kahala Brands signed an agreement to merge with an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of MTY Food Group.

• Nellson added a new high-speed production line in its Lachine, Canada, nutritional bar manufacturing facility and unified its Canadian operations in Lachine and Anjou.

• Nestlé Waters opened Switzerland’s largest agricultural biogas production facility in Valbroye.

• QualiTech received “AA” certification for its food processing facility under the British Retail Consortium standard.

Melanie Zanoza Bartelme, Associate Editor
[email protected]