S17 - Session O1 - Modifying the texture of tomato purees through variety selection or processing methods do not affect the same physical parameters and rheological mechanisms.

Authors: David Page *, Miarka Sinkora, Lucas Lanoë, Robert Giovinazzo, François ZUBER, Anne-Laure Fanciullino, Nadia Bertin

Texture is a parameter that defines a large part of the quality of a tomato puree. It conditions its use for various applications in the food industry. The juice industry favors fluid but aromatic bases, while pizza or ravioli manufacturers favor more textured bases for making smooth sauces. The two main levers used by tomato processors to control the texture of purees are the choice of suitable varieties but also a modification of the time / temperature parameters of the process (hot or cold break process). However, climate change makes the quality of fruits more variable, their behavior more unpredictable and empirical choice methods tend to no longer be fully effective. Several parameters conditioned the texture of a tomato puree. They all can vary independently. The quantity, size and shape of the insoluble particles that the puree contains, the total dry matter content, the volume occupied by the solid particles relative to the volume of the serum, or the viscosity of the serum are all parameters previously described as influencing the texture of the tomato purees. The aim of our study therefore consists in identifying which parameters influence the texture the most in a complete experimental design using four varieties of fruits, two processing conditions in the pilot plant, and different cultivation conditions for the fruit production (such as water scarcity or low level of nitrogen fertilization). We performed a PLS-DA analysis with all the physicochemical parameters influencing the texture and measured on purees. The results showed that the variations in texture linked to the genotype are mainly driven by structural modifications (particle size and particle / serum respective volume) while those linked to the cooking method are mainly influenced by the viscosity of the serum in the purees.