ARMAZENAMENTO DE TOMATES REVESTIDOS COM PECTINA: AVALIAÇÃO COLORIMÉTRICA

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the color of tomatoes coated with different concentrations of pectin during storage at room temperature. Were used tomatoes with color greenish-pink divided into four lots: uncoated tomatoes (CT) and covered with biofilms with 2% (P2), 5% (P5) and 8% (P8) of solution of pectin. Initially it was evaluated the rind of tomatoes, then these were cut in half and it was evaluated the pulp (fleshy part), subsequently the two parts of tomatoes were processed in a blender to yield the processed pulp, which also was evaluated. Evaluations were done at 0, 2, 4, 7, 11 and 16 days storage with analysis of luminosity (L*), intensity of red (+a*) and intensity of yellow (+b*) in portable spectrophotometer. It was observed in all treatments that the rind and the fleshy and processed pulp showed a reduction in the values of L*. At the end of the storage, the treatment CT showed the highest values +a* for the rind and the fleshy and processed pulp, followed of the treatments P2, P5 and P8, respectively. The values of +b* decreased in the rind and in processed pulp of the CT and P2 treatments, but increased in the P5 and P8 treatments. It is concluded that the use of edible coatings pectin is effective to retard development of coloration typical of ripe tomato, results to be associated with the evaluation of physical and chemical parameters for a respect to retardation of the ripening.