The aim of this research was to clarify the effects of organic acid content on the taste and palatability of strawberry jam. Prepared jam samples with different organic acid contents (0.8-2.0%) were assessed for color and texture, and then subjected to sensory evaluation of sweetness, sourness and preference attributes. For the sensory evaluation, assessors evaluated the sweetness intensity of the jam as decreasing with increasing organic acid content. In contrast, the sourness intensity increased as the organic acid content increased. Palatability did not change with the content of organic acids when the jam was evaluated alone. However, a difference was observed when eating jam in combination with yogurt or bread; moderately sour jam was preferred over those at either extreme of the sourness scale. Assessors who commonly consume jam with yogurt showed a preference when evaluating jam with yogurt, but no differences were observed when evaluating jam with bread. By contrast, assessors who commonly consume jam with bread did not show a preference when evaluating jam with yogurt, but showed a preference when evaluating jam with bread. Assessors who typically consume jam with yogurt or bread did not show any differences in preference when evaluating jam alone. These results indicate the importance of considering the eating habits of assessors when investigating the palatability of foods, such as jam, that are not eaten alone. Because the preference of them may change depending on their eating habits.

Germinated brown rice (GBR) has a high gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content and antioxidant capacity; however, the effects of high-temperature cooking on these characteristics are unclear. We investigated alterations in GABA content, antioxidant capacity, 15 proteinogenic amino acids, TP and reducing sugar content, and color of cooked GBR at 105°C to 135°C and at different times (40 to 90 min) at 105°C. The contents of GABA and 9 proteinogenic amino acids decreased via thermal decomposition with increasing cooking temperatures. The hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacities (DPPH and L-ORAC) were enhanced at temperatures >125°C. L-ORAC values were strongly associated with the glucose content and L*, a*, and b* values. Additionally, prolonged treatment time decreased the content of 12 amino acids but increased DPPH and L-ORAC. Our results on functional ingredients and activity are useful for both home cooking and manufacturing processes and may lead to the development of better-processed products.

Shipping containers are used globally for the domestic distribution and export of several products. In this study, we compared the efficacy of controlled atmosphere (CA) containers to reefer containers based on the quality of 41 fresh fruits and vegetables exported from Japan to Singapore. We used instrumental analysis and sensory evaluation to compare the quality of fruits and vegetables transported in these two container types. Thirteen types of produce showed higher quality in the CA container than in the reefer container. Two types of fruits deteriorated in flavor due to abnormal maturation under CA conditions. Six types of produce showed higher quality in the reefer containers than in the CA containers. The CA containers were particularly effective in improving the quality of leafy vegetables, root vegetables, and fresh legumes; thus, CA containers are excellent for exporting these types of produce. Practical applications:The export of fresh fruits and vegetables by CA containers is expanding year after year, but their operation is difficult because the optimal storage environment for fruits and vegetables varies from item to item. This study showed the effectiveness of CA containers in improving the quality of leafy vegetables, root vegetables, and fresh legumes during their export from Japan to Singapore. These findings would contribute to the expansion of exports using CA containers in the future.

Global agricultural exports are expected to increase in the future. Sea transportation facilitates the carrying of an incomparably large amount of cargo for a much lower cost than by air freight. However, sea transportation takes much longer and the produce quality is inferior to that transported by air. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop technologies to create a more suitable environment for sea transportation. For this reason, a method was devised in which all fruit and vegetables packaged for domestic distribution are wrapped from the outside of the package as additional packaging with a more versatile film, and an actual export demonstration using this method was conducted in this study. Namely, two sets of 28 different kinds of fruits and vegetables were prepared, one that was wrapped in additional packaging and the other with ordinary packaging. These sets were then exported from Japan's Shimizu Port to Singapore as mixed cargo. Following transportation, instrumental analysis and sensory evaluation were performed to compare the quality of the additionally packaged produce with that of the ordinarily packaged produce. This additional packaging greatly reduced the loss of fresh weight of Chinese cabbage, lettuce, cabbage and Japanese white radish. Moreover, the additional packaging reduced the drying of ‘Shine Muscat’ grape stems. However, some produce such as peaches deteriorated in quality due to slight changes in gas concentration. For many items, additional packaging can be a low‐cost option for maintaining quality when exporting fruits and vegetables packaged for routine domestic distribution.

No abstract