Flavio Paoletti

Impact of innovative controlled atmosphere storage technologies and postharvest treatments on volatile compound production in cv. Pinova apples.

Organically grown apples cv. Pinova harvested at two different dates were stored at 1.3 degrees C for up to 4 months in air, up to 7 months in ULO (1.5 kPa of O(2) and 1.3 kPa of CO(2)) and in dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA) conditions (0.4-0.6 kPa of O(2) and 0.6-0.8 kPa of CO(2)); the DCA storage method involved the use of a chlorophyll fluorescence monitoring system in order to detect low-O(2) stress in apples and to allow for the dynamic adaptation of storage atmosphere to O(2) levels that were lower than in ULO but still tolerated by fruits. A postharvest 1-MCP treatment (for 24 h at 1.3 degrees C) and a hot water treatment (for 180 s at 50 degrees C) were also tested on apples stored afterward in ULO and air, respectively. Volatile compounds isolated from the pulp of fruits were measured after 4 and 7 months, just upon removal from storage and after 11 days at 22 degrees C. Total amount of aroma compounds detected in apples stored in DCA was markedly higher (from 2- to 4-fold) than in fruits exposed to 1-MCP + ULO but, at most sampling times, significantly lower than in ULO fruits. Moderate differences in storage atmosphere composition between ULO and DCA significantly affected both total amount and profile of volatile esters. Analogous effects were observed on the alcohol precursors of the main esters. Exposure to 1-MCP inhibited biosynthesis of straight-chain esters more than that of branched-chain esters. The hot water treatment did not seem to produce marked changes in volatile composition after four months of air storage, except for a sharp accumulation of aldehydes during the shelf-life time. DCA storage technology, besides avoiding any chemical treatment, can preserve apple aroma compounds better than 1-MCP + ULO during long-term storage.

Quality assessment of baby food made of different pre-processed organic raw materials under industrial processing conditions

The market for processed food is rapidly growing. The industry needs methods for “processing with care” leading to high quality products in order to meet consumers’ expectations. Processing influences the quality of the finished product through various factors. In carrot baby food, these are the raw material, the pre-processing and storage treatments as well as the processing conditions. In this study, a quality assessment was performed on baby food made from different pre-processed raw materials. The experiments were carried out under industrial conditions using fresh, frozen and stored organic carrots as raw material. Statistically significant differences were found for sensory attributes among the three autoclaved puree samples (e.g. overall odour F = 90.72, p < 0.001). Samples processed from frozen carrots show increased moisture content and decrease of several chemical constituents. Biocrystallization identified changes between replications of the cooking. Pre-treatment of raw material has a significant influence on the final quality of the baby food.

How the organic food system supports sustainable diets and translates these into practice

Organic production and consumption provide a delineated food system that can be explored for its potential contribution to sustainable diets. While organic agriculture improves the sustainability performance on the production side, critical reflections are made on how organic consumption patterns, understood as the practice of people consuming significant amounts of organic produce, may also be taken as an example for sustainable food consumption. The consumption patterns of regular organic consumers seem to be close to the sustainable diet concept of FAO. Certain organic-related measures might therefore be useful in the sustainability assessment of diets, e.g., organic production and organic consumption. Since diets play a central role in shaping food systems and food systems shape diets, the role of organic consumption emerges as an essential topic to be addressed. This role may be based on four important organic achievements: organic agriculture and food production has a definition, well-established principles, public standards, and useful metrics. By 2015, data for organic production and consumption are recorded annually from more than 160 countries, and regulations are in force in more than 80 countries or regions. The organic food system puts the land (agri-cultura) back into the diet; it is the land from which the diet in toto is shaped. Therefore, the organic food system provides essential components of a sustainable diet.

Multi-method comparison of carrot quality from a conventional and three organic cropping systems with increasing levels of nutrient recycling

BACKGROUND There is a need to advance the study of the effects of organic and conventional systems on product quality. In particular, little is known about the importance of different farming practices concerning nutrient cycling and the use of external inputs within organic farming for the quality characteristics of the products. In this study the quality characteristics of carrot grown under different farming practices (conventional and three organic cropping systems) over a two-year period were analysed with the aim of discriminating between organic and conventional and investigating the effect of different organic farming practices concerning nutrient recycling and use of external nutrient input. RESULTS All quality characteristics measured did not give a clear differentiation between the carrots from the different growing systems, even when multivariate statistical evaluation (principal component analysis) was applied, because of the significance of the differences between the field replicates within each management system and of the seasonality. Only some tendencies were emphasised over the two years that could be related to the fertilisation practices and the external inputs used. CONCLUSION The results indicated that it was not possible to discriminate over the years between carrots from conventional and different organic cropping systems even though controlled conditions and a multi-method approach of analysis were adopted.

Impact of different distribution scenarios and recommended storage conditions on flavor related quality attributes in ripening fresh tomatoes.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits of three cultivars picked at different ripening stages were subjected to conditions in the laboratory simulating both short and long distribution chains as occurring in commercial practice and to recommended storage conditions. At the end of the postharvest experiments, a flavor quality profile of fruits was obtained by chemical determination of volatile compounds, sugars, and organic acids, and physical measurement of texture properties. In two of the three cultivars, the overall profile and many of the individual quality attributes was significantly affected by the distribution chain conditions, the effect being more pronounced in tomatoes marketed at full ripeness than in those marketed at an intermediate ripening stage. In these cultivars, tomatoes harvested at the Breaker stage, subjected to long chain conditions and then allowed to achieve full ripeness at room temperature, did not develop the same overall profile observed on fruits fully ripened on the vine and exposed to a simulated short chain. Fruits subjected to recommended commercial storage conditions, cold stored above the chilling range (10 or 13 °C) and at high relative humidity (95%), developed a different profile when compared to fruit exposed to the simulated long distribution chain (6 °C and 55-80% RH), suggesting that these changes in temperature and relative humidity may remarkably affect flavor formation in tomato fruits. Major drivers of profile differentiation between tomatoes subjected to different postharvest scenarios were the levels of some aroma compounds derived from aminoacids (1-nitro-2-phenylethane, 2-isobutylthiazole, phenylacetaldehyde, 2-phenylethanol, and 2- and 3-methylbutanal) and lipids ((E,E)- and (E,Z)-2,4-decadienal), and, among nonvolatile flavor compounds, of organic acids (citric and malic).

How to understand the complexity of product quality and the challenges in differentiating between organically and conventionally grown products—exemplified by fresh and heat-processed carrots (Daucus carota L.)

Quality traits are highly focused upon in the marketing of organic food products. There is a need to define and measure quality as consumers seem to have preconceived notions about the superior health value and taste of organic compared to non-organic products. A commonly held opinion among many consumer groups is that organic farming guarantees optimum quality, despite the fact that this remains unproven. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of quality traits in a plant-based food product, using carrots as an example. Selected designated quality aspects are presented to describe the complexity of quality and discuss the challenges of using these aspects in differentiating between organic and conventional products. The paper concludes we have insufficient tools to be able to adequately authenticate organically produced carrots. The same may be the case for most vegetables and fruit products. Suggestions for further studies include the soil and location aspect (terroir), in order to trace a product back to its origin in an organically or conventionally farmed field by finding a unique fingerprint for chemical constituents of samples.

Effect of Soil Nutrition on Aroma Compound Formation in Organically Grown Apples (cv. Golden Delicious)

The effect of the use of different organic fertilizers on formation of aroma compounds in cv. Golden Delicious apples was investigated. Results from the first year of the study suggested that the application of three different organic fertilizers did not reflect on marked univocal differences in the profile of aroma compounds in the fruits. Nevertheless, some effects of the fertilization were observed; therefore the use of different organic fertilizers, characterized by different efficiency in N mineralization, seemed to have the potential to significantly affect the formation of aroma compounds in apple fruits.

Chapter 56 – Effects of Distribution Chain on Flavor Formation in Ripening Fresh Tomatoes

A postharvest experiment was designed and carried out in order to evaluate the effects of distribution chain conditions and length on flavor-related quality attributes of fresh tomatoes. Three tomato cultivars characterized by intermediate susceptibility to postharvest handling were evaluated for their response to the conditions of distribution chains of different length. For two of them, these conditions and times produced significant effects on the formation of flavor compounds, suggesting that fruits coming from a medium or long distribution chain did not develop the same flavor profile as those exposed to a short chain.