Analysis and modification of pectin structure towards production of high quality frozen vegetables.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22606
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0604:Agricultural economics and rural sociology, agricultural engineering, and related fields
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
• Principal Investigator: Nishida Namiko 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 食品研究部門, 研究員 (60885028)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 冷凍野菜 / ペクチン / 氷結晶 / 低温加熱

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Vegetables are more susceptible to freeze damage than other foods, resulting in serious texture losses after freeze-thawing. It is thought that the cultivars or harvesting methods could contribute to the quality of frozen-thawed vegetables, however, the reason why these factors lead to quality difference is unclear. The objective of this study is to elucidate the relationship between the vegetable qualities after freeze-thawing and cultivar, mainly focused on the structure of pectin which maintain the strength of the vegetable tissues. In addition, the effect of the pectin structure modification by low-temperature blanching on formation of ice crystals and mechanical properties after thawing were investigated. In the results, the differences of pectin structure between cultivars or pretreatment conditions did not affect the formation of ice crystals, however it correlated with mechanical properties of frozen-thawed vegetables.

Free Research Field

農業環境工学および農業情報工学関連

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究から、品種ごとにペクチン構造は異なり、組織強度にも違いがあることが推察されたが、氷結晶の形態に大きな違いは見られなかった。さらに、人為的なペクチン構造の改変は、凍結時の氷結晶の形態に大きく影響せず、凍結による損傷は避けられないと考えられる。しかし、凍結前後のペクチン組成には凍結解凍後の力学特性と相関があった。つまり、凍結前に強固な組織構造を持つことが、凍結解凍後の組織強度を高く維持するために必要であり、そのような品種が冷凍加工用品種として適切であると考えられる。これらの知見は冷凍加工用の品種選定・育成において有用である。