PROCESS FOR INHIBITING ENZYMATIC BROWNING AND MAINTAINING TEXTURAL QUALITY OF FRESH PEELED POTATOES

摘要

A process is disclosed for inhibiting enzymatic browning in raw, peeledpotatoes comprising dipping the potatoes in a solution of heated organic acids(45-65°C), followed by treatment in a weakly basic solution to neutralize the potatosurface and treatment with reducing agents, followed by storage in modifiedatmosphere packaging. The process may comprise two stages, in which sodiumerythorbate in solution (approximate pH 7.8) is used both as the neutralizing agentand the reducing agent. Alternatively, the process may comprise three stages, inwhich a solution of the salt of an organic acid (such as sodium citrate) is used toneutralize the potato surface following the heated acid dip, and a third stagecontaining the reducing agents sodium erythorbate and erythorbic acid arecombined at a final pH of greater than 4.3. Chelating agents or sequestrants maybe added to the solutions. The process tends to delay the onset of enzymaticbrowning and, once browning has begun, limits the extent of enzymatic browning.The novel process causes little or no hardening or separation of the potato surfacetissue in the final cooked product, and is potentially an alternative to the presentuse of sulfites for raw, peeled potatoes.