Latest Texture Analysis in Research: Vegetables

Is there a best technique to cook vegetables? A study carried out at the University of Brazil about physical and sensory aspects to stimulate their consumption has attempted to answer this. 

Consumers are becoming more health-conscious and have less time to prepare meals. They are often confused about which time and cooking method are adequate to preserve nutrients in vegetables. All cooking techniques cause changes in the nutrient content and the taste of a vegetable. 

The objective of this study was to determine the best cooking method for different vegetables using sensory evaluation and instrumental analysis of texture and colour. The chosen vegetables for this study were broccoli, carrot and Brazilian zucchini because they are among the most consumed vegetables in Brazil. The cooking methods were boiling, steaming, cooking in the combined oven, microwave, and steaming in the microwave.

They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to evaluate vegetables for texture. In general, no significant differences were found by the panellists between intermediate cooking and more cooked points, allowing the definition of ideal time of cooking according to the one that best preserves vegetable nutrients. For global acceptance, the preferred cooking method was boiling for broccoli, steaming in the microwave for zucchini, and steaming or steaming in the microwave for carrot. For all the three vegetables, microwave cooking had the worst results regarding global acceptance. The instrumental analysis of texture and colour showed similar results to the acceptability variables. Find out more

Researchers from the University of Arkansas have been investigating the comparison of instrumental methods for measuring seed hardness of food grade soybeans. Breeding specialty soybeans for the soyfood market requires proper methodology in evaluation of seed quality attributes. In this study, efficient methods that could be potentially used for testing soybean seed hardness were developed by examining different instruments and seed parameters. Seed hardness is an important factor in determining soybean suitability for natto production. 

This study used two Texture Analysers equipped with five different probes to test hardness of five soybean genotypes with different seed size. The methodologies for testing the seed texture of soybean have been established in this publication, which can help regulate the seed hardness testing for commercial production and provide consistent hardness references for natto breeding programs and the seed industry. Read more

Scientists from Jiangnan University have been researching the application of sensory and instrumental techniques to evaluate the texture of French fries. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between instrumental and sensory data and to select the type of probes suitable for determining the texture of French fries. They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to measure texture parameters of samples at 50°C. Ten commercial French fries were assessed using different probe types and perceived sensations through descriptive analysis. The eight sensory attributes developed by trained panellists were found to distinguish samples well.

The result of instrumental data analysis revealed that the variation coefficient of three‐point bending was the largest, which indicated that the measurement accuracy was lower. The compression test showed significant correlation with most of the sensory attributes, while the cutting test with Volodkevich Bite Jaws did not correlate with all sensory attributes. Among these instrumental methods, compression, blade with guillotine probe, and puncture test were recommended for texture analysis of French fries. These results will provide a time‐saving and efficient method for determining the texture of French fries. Find out more
 
A patent has recently been released by Conagra Foods RDM, entitled ‘Shelf Stable Fried Product and Process for Creating the Same’. The aesthetic properties of shelf stable fried food products are a contributor to consumer appeal. Previous processes for creating shelf stable fried food products resulted in a less desirable shelf stable food product. 

In this patent, the fried product contains a whole cut of vegetable or fruit, as well as a crispy and crunchy texture and a resistance to staling. The shelf stable fried product can be packaged to facilitate on-the-go snacking where consumers are not required to cook, thaw, heat or otherwise further prepare the product prior to consuming the product from the package. They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to perform cutting tests with a Fracture Wedge Set. Find out more
 
Researchers from the University of Reunion Island have been investigating fruit density as a reliable indicator of sensory quality for mango. There is constant demand from the fresh fruit sector for reliable, non-destructive indicators to better predict the sensory quality of fruits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of density to predict mango sensory quality at the ripening stage. 

Models were built from density and the day of maturation to predict physicochemical indicators of sensory quality. They used their TA.XT2 Texture Analyser to measure pulp firmness. Mangoes with a higher density were found to have a significantly higher intensity of sweetness, mango aroma, and lower intensity of firmness than mangoes with the lower density, whatever the origin. Read more

And finally, scientists from Universiti Putra Malaysia have been investigating the characteristics of powders produced from different parts of sweet potato. Sweet potato is a staple food in developing countries because of its short growing duration. Different parts of the sweet potato plant may offer various benefits, but there is a lack of understanding on the properties to link with its potential applications. 

The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of powders produced from different parts of sweet potato including stem, leaves, tuber and skin. They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser along with a Powder Flow Analyser to perform cohesion tests, Powder Flow Speed Dependency tests and caking tests. The study showed that the powder of sweet potato stem, leaves, tuber and skin are categorised as free and stable powders and also prone to cake. Find out more

There is a Texture Analysis test for virtually any physical property. Contact Stable Micro Systems today to learn more about our full range of solutions.

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For more information on how to measure texture, please visit the Texture Analysis Properties section on our website.

The TA.XTplus texture analyser is part of a family of texture analysis instruments and equipment from Stable Micro Systems. An extensive portfolio of specialist attachments is available to measure and analyse the textural properties of a huge range of food products. Our technical experts can also custom design instrument fixtures according to individual specifications.

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