Tomato Puree Research Articles

Pengaruh Penambahan Ubi Jalar Kuning (Ipomoea Batatas L.) dan Bunga Rosella (Hibiscus Sabdariffa L.) Terhadap Karakteristik Fisikokimia dan Organoleptik Saus Tomat

Abstract. Tomato sauce is a product produced from a mixture of tomato puree or tomato paste or tomato solids obtained from ripe tomatoes, which is processed with spices, with or without the addition of other food ingredients and permitted food additives. The addition of yellow sweet potato was chosen as a natural thickener and rosella flowers to replace the role of synthetic dyes in tomato sauce. The research design used in this study was a randomized factorial block design consisting of 2 factors, namely the addition of yellow sweet potato (0%,15% and 30%) and the addition of rosella flowers (0%, 5% and 10%). Parameters tested are water content, total dissolved solids, pH, total carotene, antioxidant activity, color intensity and organoleptic. The results showed that there was an interaction between the addition of yellow sweet potato and rosella flower on water content, total dissolved solids, pH, antioxidant activity. The addition of yellow sweet potato affected the water content, total dissolved solids, pH, total carotene, antioxidant activity, brightness (L) and redness (a+). The addition of rosella flowers affected the water content, total dissolved solids, pH, total carotene, antioxidant activity and brightness (L). The best treatment was A2B1 with a value of water content (63.32%), total dissolved solids (19.33°Brix), pH (3.89), total carotene (22.32µg), antioxidant activity (76.71%), color intensity (L 39.63; a* 15.6; b* 16.2); aroma 4.24 (rather delicious), color 4.12 (rather bright), taste 4.56 (delicious), texture 4.88 (thick), preference 4.36 (rather like).

Development and characterization of “Greek Salad” edible films

“Greek salad” edible films, made from tomato puree, juices of cucumber, bell pepper and onion, oregano oil and apple pectin with and without olive oil and guar gum were successfully prepared and characterized for water vapor permeability, oxygen permeability, tensile properties, moisture sorption isotherm, heat sealing ability and color. It was found that the addition of olive oil to the basic film increased its water vapor permeability, while the incorporation of guar gum had no impact on it. The addition of olive oil and guar gum affected the tensile properties, the isotherms for moisture sorption and the color of the films. All films demonstrated good heat-sealing properties. The FTIR spectra of the films displayed several interesting characteristics, confirming the films’ composition. The sensory evaluation of the four edible films revealed that all samples scored close to or above 3 (on a scale of 0–5) in most sensory attributes, indicating general acceptability among panelists. Notably, films containing guar gum exhibited higher homogeneity and transparency, while films containing olive oil showed the highest odor, flavor, and taste intensities, but also more pronounced defects and undesirable aftertastes. The basic film appeared more balanced in most sensory attributes.It was concluded that overall the advantages of adding olive oil and guar gum to the basic film were not significant. Future experiments will concentrate on optimizing the production of the basic film and exploring the possibility of using it for packaging oily foods.

Heat transfer and friction factor analysis for tomato puree flowing in a concentric-tube heat exchanger.

The heat and momentum transfer of tomato puree through a concentric-tube heat exchanger over a range of generalized Reynolds number (0.05<Re<66.5) was experimentally and numerically analyzed. Thermophysical and rheological properties of tomato puree (12°Brix) were measured from 20 to 60°C. The velocity, pressure, and temperature were calculated using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software FLUENTTM with temperature-dependent transport properties. The thermal operation of the concentric-tube exchanger was satisfactorily predicted using CFD, indicating accurate measurement of tomato puree properties with temperature variations. A concordance was found between the calculated Fanning friction factor and generalized Reynolds with the experimental correlation. A modified Sieder-Tate correlation was established, which allows properly expressing the Nusselt number as a function of the Peclet number. Simple correlations for the mechanical work and the heat transfer rate as a function of the volumetric flow rate were derived. The thermal efficiency was high at low puree flow rates but decreased with higher rates. However, at high flow rates, ceased its decline, instead showing a slight improvement. The analysis confirmed higher heat transfer rates in the concentric-tube heat exchanger compared to a plain tube at low puree flow rates. The results offer valuable insights for assessing diverse operational conditions in dairy, beverage, sauce, and concentrated food industries. Additionally, they also enhance the analysis and design of concentric-tube heat exchangers. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The knowledge of the rheological and hydrodynamical behavior of fluids in concentric-tube heat exchangers allows to explore a set of different operating conditions to improve the yield and effectiveness on the system heating/cooling design.

Improved antioxidant properties and sustainability of whole‐fruit yellow tomato puree

SummaryIn this study, a new process was proposed to make the yellow tomato puree more sustainable, avoiding any waste during production and including peels and seeds in it. In addition, as raw material tomatoes grown without irrigation and fertilisation procedures were used to increase the sustainability. With respect to a traditional puree, the whole‐fruit yellow tomato puree contained more β‐carotene and polyphenols, exhibiting greater antioxidant capacity, and showed greater consistency due to the high content of pectin in peels. Moreover, a higher content of glutamic acid, responsible for the umami taste, was detected particularly in products from GiaGiù ecotype. Sensory analysis assessed that whole‐fruit yellow tomato puree has good acceptability and consumers preferred it for the texture. In conclusion, the whole‐fruit yellow tomato puree is not only a sustainable product but can be also used as an excellent ingredient in food formulation with antioxidant properties.

Increasing sustainability in the tomato processing industry: environmental impact analysis and future development scenarios

IntroductionThe agri-food sector has been identified as one of the most significant contributors to environmental degradation and emissions. Thus, in order to respond to the societal demand for cleaner and greener products, in recent years, the food industry has been striving to identify and apply more sustainable practices to minimize the negative impact on the environment. Within the agri-food sector, one of the industries requiring efforts to mitigate its environmental footprint is the tomato processing industry, which represents an important industry within the Italian industrial food processing sector. Efficient utilization of resources and adoption of innovative methods in the production lines of the tomato processing industry can be envisaged as strategic measures to increase sustainability. This study aims to discuss the results of the case study in which an Italian tomato processing company has been analyzed by applying the LCA methodology.MethodForeground data were obtained from the tomato processing facility located in southern Italy, and Ecoinvent database was the source of background data. The assessment was carried out by SimaPro software using ReCiPe 2016 (V1.03). The feasible conservation strategies in the production line have been evaluated through water-energy nexus simulation by SuperPro Designer® before the implementation, and different scenarios have been evaluated by SimaPro to decrease the environmental load.Results and conclusionThis study demonstrates that the production of 1 kg of peeled tomatoes and tomato puree leads to greenhouse gas emissions of 0.083 kg CO2 eq and 0.135 kg CO2 eq, respectively. A deeper analysis to evaluate the contribution of the different tomato processing stages indicated that the thermal units are the main ones responsible for adverse effects on the environment, and any improvement in their performance can be seen as an unmissable opportunity. The conservation strategies identified resulted in considerable water (23.4%), electricity (14.7%), and methane (28.7%) savings and, consequently, in 16 and 19% reduction of global warming potential in peeled tomato and tomato puree production lines, respectively. These findings provide new insights for tomato processing companies wishing to adopt more sustainable processing practices, reducing their environmental impact to a considerable extent and improving their economic performance.

Variety, growing conditions and processing method act on different structural and biochemical traits to modify viscosity in tomato puree

The texture of tomato products can be modified by choice of variety, their growing conditions and/or processing method, but no clear explanation exists of the mechanisms that transform fruit tissue, how they act on texture, or whether genetics and processing impact the same physical parameters. We therefore conducted a study that processed 4 varieties produced under low/high nitrogen supply, into puree using both hot and cold break processes. No specific rheological signature allows discrimination between cultivar-induced or process-induced textural changes, but that they can be distinguished by sensory analysis. Growth conditions impacted but was not sensory distinguished. Both caused significant variations in 7 of 11 physico-chemical parameters, but the order of importance of these traits controlling texture varied, depending on whether the cause was genetic or process-related. Analysis of alcohol insoluble solids revealed a specific signature in pectin composition and conformation that could be linked to particle aggregation in the presence of lycopene-rich particles.

Influence of temperature, time, and moisture content on rheology of tomatoes and pepper purees

This study explored how temperature, time, and moisture content affect the rheological properties (apparent viscosity, flow behavior index, and consistency coefficient) of stored tomato and pepper purees. These purees were prepared with moisture contents of 85%, 90%, and 95% (w/v) using the hot-break method and tested over 6 days at 2-day intervals and temperatures of 5°C, 10°C, and 15°C. Results displayed distinct ranges for apparent viscosity, consistency coefficient, and flow behavior indices: tomato puree (2,519.9-4,324.6 mPa · s, 258.0-550.6 mPa · Sn, 1.80-0.48) and pepper puree (2,105.6-4,562.0 mPa · s, 268.4-580.4 mPa · Sn, 0.22-0.48). The temperature and storage time had significant (p≤0.05) effects, but moisture content did not affect these properties. Flow behavior and consistency coefficients demonstrated relative variation with apparent viscosity, indicating pseudoplastic behavior. Optimal processing and storage conditions were identified within specific ranges: 13.21-14.42°C for 2 days with 92.22-94.23% (w/v) moisture content for pepper, and 8.42-11.77°C for 2-6 days with 85% (w/v) moisture for tomato.

Organoleptic evaluation of tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum, Mill.) sauce with the addition of kandis (Garcinia cowa, Roxb.) acid extract as an acidifier

The research aimed to determine the effect of adding kandis extract as an acidifier to tomato puree and the best formulation based on organoleptic characteristics of tomato sauce. The research design used was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 5 treatments and 3 replicates. In this research, kandis extract was added with treatments A (0%), B (3%), C (3.5%) D (4%), and E (4.5%) base on tomato puree weight. The results of each research parameter were analyzed statistically using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and if the effect was significantly different, it was continued with Duncan's New Multiple Range (DNMRT) analysis at the 5% level. The results showed that the addition of kandis had a significantly different effect on organoleptic taste and texture of tomato sauce. However, it did not have a significantly different effect on color, and aroma organoleptics. The best treatment for the addition of kandis extract based on organoleptic characteristics of tomato sauce is treatment D (addition of 4% kandis extract) with the criteria of organoleptic acceptance rate for color 4.00 (like), aroma 4.07 (like), texture 4.20 (like), and taste 4.43 (like).

Formation, Identification, and Occurrence of the Furan-Containing β-Carboline Flazin Derived from l-Tryptophan and Carbohydrates.

β-Carbolines (βCs) are bioactive indole alkaloids found in foods and in vivo. This work describes the identification, formation, and occurrence in foods of the βC with a furan moiety flazin (1-[5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-yl]-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole-3-carboxylic acid). Flazin was formed by the reaction of l-tryptophan with 3-deoxyglucosone but not with 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. Its formation was favored in acidic conditions and heating (70-110 °C). The proposed mechanism of formation occurs through the formation of intermediates 3,4-dihydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (imines), followed by the oxidation to C═O in the carbohydrate chain and aromatization to βC ring with subsequent dehydration steps and cyclization to afford the furan moiety. Flazin is generated in the reactions of tryptophan with carbohydrates. Its formation from fructose was higher than from glucose, whereas sucrose gave flazin under acidic conditions and heating owing to hydrolysis. Flazin was identified in foods by HPLC-MS, and its content was determined by HPLC-fluorescence. It occurred in numerous processed foods, such as tomato products, including crushed tomato puree, fried tomato, ketchup, tomato juices, and jams, but also in soy sauce, beer, balsamic vinegar, fruit juices, dried fruits, fried onions, and honey. Their concentrations ranged from not detected to 22.3 μg/mL, with the highest mean levels found in tomato concentrate (13.9 μg/g) and soy sauce (9.4 μg/mL). Flazin was formed during the heating process, as shown in fresh tomato juice and crushed tomatoes. These results indicate that flazin is widely present in foods and is daily uptaken in the diet.

Optimization of Mechanical, Optical, Barrier and Bioactive Properties of Edible Films from Tomato Puree, Tomato Peels and Moringa Leaf Extract

Optimization of Mechanical, Optical, Barrier and Bioactive Properties of Edible Films from Tomato Puree, Tomato Peels and Moringa Leaf Extract

EFFECT OF DIGITAL ADVERTISING ON CONSUMER SATISFACTION ON PACKAGED FOOD ITEMS IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

The wave of globalization, fueled by advancement in technology, has produced a global economy and its attendant challenges to most producers and consumers as well. They are now required to produce suitable digitalized platforms to sustain the new economy. This calls for the use of constructivists innovative digitalized approaches to help consumers derive maximum satisfaction in the consumption and search for such products. Specifically, this study sought to determine the extent of usage of digital advertising platform by household for sourcing packaged food items (tomato puree, milk, noodles and seasoning cubes/sachets) in Abia State, Nigeria, ascertain the level that digital advertising has affected consumer’s perception of packaged food items and determine the extent to which digital advertising could help in increasing consumer satisfaction of packaged food items. The population of the study comprised of 730,673 correspondents. Multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 450. The finding reveals that usage rate of digital advertising platform by household for sourcing packaged food items in Abia State, Nigeria is very low; there is a significant relationship between digital advertisement and consumer’s perception of packaged food items in Abia State. It was recommended that the in order to boost productivity and performance, management should include their staff in decision-making regarding packaging and digital advertising-related issues. These product-related factors influence customer loyalty to a large extent. This is due to research showing a strong correlation between digital advertising and how Abia State, Nigerian consumers perceive packaged food products.

Mechanical cleaning of food soil from a solid surface: A tribological perspective

In this work, a tribological approach was used to distinguish the synergistic effects of mechanical removal and chemical removal (i.e. dissolution) of a layer of representative food soil from a solid surface, using a tribometer, Mini Traction Machine (MTM). Gravimetric and wear measurements of the soil were used to calculate the cleaning rates of burnt tomato puree on a stainless-steel disc, and the corresponding frictional characteristics offers insight of the mechanical removal. The cleaning due to soil dissolution (chemical removal) was quantified by UV–Vis measurements. The overall cleaning rates of food soil featured a linear reduction in mass over time, with a scaled removal rate k = 0.0046 s−1 (5 N applied force and 100 mm s−1 relative velocity), for most cases studied. It was observed that the cleaning rate can be improved with an increasing mechanical load or speed (50% from 1 to 2.5 N and 13% from 50 to 100 mm s−1), but is independent of the initial mass. UV–Vis measurements show that by increasing the load or speed the removal of chunks of burnt tomato puree was enhanced more than removal attributed to dissolution. Similar values of cleaning rates for most experimental parameters were extracted from both the gravimetric and wear measurements. Adhesion and cohesion measurements of the burnt tomato puree were conducted with a micromanipulator. It was found that adhesion forces are higher than cohesion for short soaking times, but for longer times the adhesion forces became weaker and with the additional shear rate in the MTM cleaning experiment, adhesion failure was observed in many cases by the end of the experiment. Indentation measurements showed the change in mechanical properties of the food foulant with a few minutes of soaking in water.

Study on Effect of Lycopene Rich Tomato Puree Supplementation on Wellbeing/Healthiness in Hyperlipidemic Wistar Rats

Background: The red-colored tomatoes are characterised as a mine of lycopene to manufacture food grade ingredient and projected its placement in a specialty class where nutrient with pharmaceutical value justifies dietary status. Tomato lycopene has justified its status as a potential antioxidant compensating with nutraceutical importance and provided an option for endorsing specialty nutrition. The diversity epidemiological experiments recorded noteworthy modulations in lipid profile and projected risk reduction potential of lycopene against non-communicable diseases. The progressive research efforts to monitor haematological parameters to justify efficacy of tomato lycopene against adverse effects on wellbeing of human body is required for precision governance. The present research work aims to assess the potential of lycopene rich tomato puree in monitoring the haematological parameters in hyperlipidemic Wistar rats. Methods: Wistar rats (Healthy control, high fat diet fed, HFD-Stain treated and HFD-tomato puree treated) were examined for physiological, haematological and blood biochemical parameters on 0, 14 and 28th day of experiment to assess effect of tomato puree administration on wellbeing of rats against healthy, hyperlipidemic and standard drug status. Result: The increased haemoglobin and total erythrocyte count on 14th and 28th day of experiment justifies the erythropoiesis stimulatory effect of tomato puree lycopene. Moreover, increased total leukocyte count in high fat diet-tomato puree fed rats on 14th and 28th day validates the positive effect of tomato puree lycopene to monitor healthiness in Wistar rats. The regulatory mechanism based on haematological specialty features that monitors the risk of physiological disorders and diseases outlined through animal study experimental data provided a logistic option to confirm the efficacy of tomato puree lycopene to protect wellbeing/healthiness of live entity (Wistar rats).

Identification, Formation, and Occurrence of Perlolyrine: A β-Carboline Alkaloid with a Furan Moiety in Foods.

β-Carbolines are naturally occurring bioactive alkaloids found in foods and in vivo. This research reports the identification, characterization, mechanism of formation, and occurrence of perlolyrine (1-(5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-yl)-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole), a β-carboline with a furan moiety. Perlolyrine did not arise from l-tryptophan and hydroxymethylfurfural but from the reaction of l-tryptophan with 3-deoxyglucosone, an intermediate of carbohydrate degradation. The mechanism of formation occurs through 3,4-dihydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid intermediates (imines), followed by the oxidation of C1'-OH to ketoimine and oxidative decarboxylation at C-3, along with dehydration and cyclization to afford the β-carboline with a furan moiety. The formation of perlolyrine was favored in acidic conditions and temperatures in the range of 70-110 °C. Perlolyrine occurred in the reactions of tryptophan with carbohydrates. The formation rate from fructose was much higher than from glucose. Sucrose also gave perlolyrine under acidic conditions and heating. Perlolyrine was identified in many foods by HPLC-MS and analyzed by HPLC-fluorescence. It occurred in many processed foods such as tomato products including tomato puree, fried tomato, ketchups, tomato juices, and jams but also in soy sauce, beer, balsamic vinegar, fruit juices, dried fruits, fried onion, and honey. The concentrations ranged from an undetected amount to 3.5 μg/g with the highest average levels found in tomato concentrate (1.9 μg/g) and soy sauce (1.5 μg/mL). The results show that perlolyrine formed during the heating process of foods. It is concluded that perlolyrine is widely present in foods and it is daily ingested in the diet.

Fate of Amadori compounds in processing and digestion of multi-ingredients tomato based sauces and their effect on other microconstituents

Amadori compounds (ACs), the first stable products of Maillard reaction, are detected in various products of fruits and vegetables, and show an antioxidant activity which can be related to beneficial effects in human health. In order to optimize the nutritional quality of a multi-ingredient tomato sauce (tomato puree – onion – olive oil – dried pepper), the fate of ACs during processing (drying, heating) and gastrointestinal digestion of a model meal was assessed as well as that of other microconstituents, i.e. carotenoids, phenolic compounds and capsaicinoids. The drying at 50 °C of fresh pepper induced the formation and accumulation of ACs after 6 days. During the heat treatment by microwave of multi-ingredient tomato sauce, Maillard reaction occurs in presence of dried pepper and the content in ACs in the tomato-based sauces increased (+33% to + 53%) depending of quantities of dried pepper added. The bioaccessibility of total ACs was 24–31% in duodenal phase and 18–22% in jejunal phase. Individual ACs have shown variable bioaccessibility, e.g. very high for Fru-Arg (50.8% to 71.3%), and very low for Fru-Met (1.8% to 2.2%). The kinetic monitoring of ACs in digestion medium showed that ACs are not stable (-46% in gastric phase, −49 % in intestinal phase) which indicated their potential degradation in the digestive tract. The presence of ACs in the multi-ingredients tomato sauces had no effect on the content of the other bioactive compounds monitored in the study and even promoted the bioaccessibility of total lycopene (+30%) but decreased the bioaccessibility of total phenolic compounds.

Assessing the Suitability of Tomato Products as a Functional Ingredient in Paneer

This research involved the selection of suitable tomato products from amongst the puree, paste and powder for manufacture of tomato flavoured paneer. Paneer was prepared from milk standardized to 3% fat and 8.5% MSNF. The first part of the study was conducted to select the optimum level of tomato puree, paste and powder. From amongst different rate of addition (w/w of milk) of tomato products studied viz. 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15% in case of puree and paste and 4, 5, 6 and 7% in case of powder, it was found that samples containing puree, paste and powder @ 10, 10 and 5 % were liked the most. In the next part of the study three batches of paneer viz. T1, T2 and T3 were prepared in which tomato puree, paste and powder were incorporated at 10, 10 and 5% respectively. Control (C) paneer was prepared from standardized milk. It was found that the fat, FDM and pH of T1, T2 and T3 were significantly (P&lt;0.05) lower than that of C, whereas moisture content of T1, T2 and T3 were significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher than C. The recovery of fat, protein and TS in T1, T2 and T3 was significantly (P&lt;0.05) lower than C, while no significant (P&gt;0.05) difference was observed in yield of paneer. All the textural properties viz. hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness and gumminess of samples containing tomato products were significantly (P&lt;0.05) lower compared to control. The overall acceptability score of T1 was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher than that of T2 and T3 but was significantly (P&lt;0.05) lower compared to C. The Vitamin C, total dietary fiber and antioxidant capacity of T1 was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher compared to C. Hence, it was concluded that good quality tomato flavoured paneer can be prepared incorporating tomato puree @ 10% w/w of milk with better functional properties compared to control.

Development and Quality Assessment of Tomato Candy

Tomato is one of the most important edible and nutritious vegetable in the world. The aim of the research was to “Develop the Preparation and Standardization of tomato candy’s” and to standardize tomato candy using Sugar Solutions and cornflour, as well as to investigate the impact of the sugar solution on tomato candy features. Moisture, ash, protein, fat, vitamin C, total sugar, treatment Fiber, quality, and microbiological state of produced confectionery were all examined. tomato candy has the maximum nutrient and sensory score, as well as the lowest microbial load, when compared to sweets made with 60% tomato puree and 40% sugar solution. Based on the sensory analysis, Sample1 exhibited more favourable sensory characteristics compared to Sample 2 and Sample 3. As they are low calorie fruit that is high in fibre.

Tomato puree quality from field to can: Effects of water and nitrogen-saving strategies

Processing tomato is a main source of phytomicronutrients in the human diet due to its micronutrient content, and the diversity of derived products consumed worldwide. A large proportion of processing tomatoes are grown under Mediterranean climate where increasing water scarcity and heat are expected to reduce yields and to have negative impacts on fruit quality. Despite this, the effects of changes in fresh fruit quality on processing and end-product quality have been under-investigated. It therefore seems imperative to work along the food chain to improve food sustainability while maintaining quality and access to important phytonutrients. The present study adopts a holistic approach from field to processing plant, assessing the effects of reduced water and nitrogen supplies on yields, fresh fruit quality and suitability for processing, and puree quality. The 5-year trial included eight varieties, several levels of water and nitrogen supply, and two processes. It was found that water deficit induced a decrease in fresh commercial yield, partially compensated by an increase in dry matter content. The yield loss was the result of a lower number of fruits per plant, while the average fruit weight and biochemical composition showed little change. Water use efficiency decreased above 120% of water demand restoration and improved under low nitrogen supply. Puree viscosity and dry matter content increased with water deficit with beneficial effects for the industry, while the reduction of nitrogen supply did not affect puree quality. This work highlighted the possibility of monitoring quality traits in tomato puree directly from field. Nevertheless, the trade-offs between WUE, quality and yield need to be optimized. Selection of varieties rich in lycopene could be a promising avenue as they appear more tolerant to water deficit. This work also stressed the need to reassess the crop coefficient for new varieties, to improve evaluation of water needs.

Modeling of radio frequency heating of packed fluid foods moving on a conveyor belt: A case study for tomato puree

Computer simulation models were used to study radiofrequency heating of liquid foods moving on a conveyor belt between staggered-through field electrodes of non-uniform electric field distribution. Voltage across the electrodes was estimated using a finite-element model and a one-dimensional model, and these were utilized to simulate heating of tomato puree mixtures of varying dielectric and thermal properties, at various nominal voltages and electrode gaps. The experimental results for volume average temperatures showed good agreement with the outcome of both simulation models. Although the temperature profiles indicate a concentration of heat at the bottom and edges of the bottle, natural convection and the shape of the container helped mitigate heat localization. It was determined that, while simple models could provide accurate volume average temperatures, incorporating convectively enhanced conductivity was necessary to accurately predict temperature distribution. The heating rate was found to decrease with an increase in salt concentration. Industrial relevanceIn-package tunnel pasteurization is preferred over continuous-flow pasteurization for certain commercial products such as carbonated beverages or semi-solid foods of high viscosity. Dielectric heating can be applied in these cases with much lower requirements of floor space, water, and energy, while reducing heat losses and localized overheating. However, the radiofrequency heating of liquid foods has not been extensively studied, especially for in-package thermal treatments. A better understanding of the effect of various processing parameters on temperature distribution and heating rates could support a wider adoption of this technology in industrial processes.

Alternaria toxins in tomato products from the Argentinean market

Although Alternaria toxins are still considered emerging, their occurrence has been reported in different food, both commodities and raw materials. Tomato products have been identified among the most relevant contributors to human exposure to these toxins. However, no current data are available on their incidence in tomato products in Argentina. A total of 79 samples were collected from the Argentinean market during 2019–2021, including tomato puree, whole peeled tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, concentrated tomato paste, tomato sauce, and tomato pulp. Six Alternaria toxins, altenuene (ALT), alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), altertoxin-I (ATX-I), tentoxin (TEN), and tenuazonic acid, were quantified by HPLC-MS. Natural occurrence of at least one of the toxins was observed in 29 samples. TeA and TEN were the predominant toxins (14%), followed by AOH (13%). A low incidence of ALT (4%), AME (4%) and ATX-I (3%) was detected. TeA was the toxin quantified at the highest levels (211.4–495.7). ATX-I, which is rarely reported in food, was present in 2 samples in relatively high concentrations (146.8 and 233.9 μg/kg). Tomato purees were the products with higher incidence and the only samples contaminated with the six Alternaria toxins. As 11% of the products analysed exceeded the levels recommended by EFSA for AOH and 4% for AME, future risk assessments should be performed to evaluate the consumers’ exposure to these toxins.