Modelling the Mechanical and Histological Properties of Carrot Tissue During Cooking in Relation to Texture and Cell Wall Changes

Abstract

A tensile test was used to measure four mechanical properties of carrot tissue cooked under various time-temperature conditions. A kinetic model describing the changes of these mechanical properties meusured during cooking was developed. The histological properties of the rupture sudaces caused by the mechanical testing were investigated. The kinetic model was found capable of predicting the changes in the rupture mechanism of the cell walls. Determining the percentage of cell wall ruptures proved to be an accurate method to assess the textural state of carrot tissue during cooking as compared to the measurement of the mechanical properties.Processing procedures become more and more complicated and the quality standards are set increasingly higher for freshly prepared meals to attract the interest of the consumer these days (Mason et al. 1990). It is desirable to design food production processes that assure a maximal nutrient retention (Lund 1977), maximal microbial safety (Nicolai et al. 1993) or any other critical quality level. To

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Effect of picking time and storage conditions on ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ apple texture in relation to cell wall changes

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Understanding texture changes of high pressure processed fresh carrots: A microstructural and biochemical approach

“…Samples characterized for surface cut damage were obtained from the cutting test and analysed by counting the broken-through and broken-between cells (sum = 100%) (Verlinden, De Barsy, De Baerdemaeker, & Deltour, 1996). The complement of the total count to reach 100% was denominated as error (<6.2%).…”