Effectiveness of calcium chloride and calcium lactate on maintenance of textural and sensory qualities of fresh-cut mangos.
Ngamchuachit P., Sivertsen H. K., Mitcham E. J., Barrett D. M.
Author Affiliation: Dept. of Food Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn Univ, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Journal of Food Science 79 : C786-C794
Abstract : The effects of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and calcium lactate on maintaining textural and sensory quality of fresh-cut Kent and Tommy Atkins mangos and determination of treatments preferred by consumers were investigated. Mango cubes (1.5×1.5×1.5 cm) were subjected to different CaCl2 and calcium lactate concentrations (0 M, 0.068 M, 0.136 M, 0.204 M) and dip times (0, 1, 2.5, 5 min). Instrumental quality parameters (firmness, color, soluble solids, titratable acidity) were analyzed periodically during 9 d of storage at 5°C. Tommy Atkins mango cubes became more orange, but also had more browning than Kent mango cubes during storage at 5°C. Firmness retention during storage was greater with mangos cubes treated with CaCl2 than with calcium lactate, therefore we focused our instrumental analysis only on CaCl2-treated cubes. The firmness of Tommy Atkins mango cubes was higher than Kent. Soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), and SSC/TA were higher in fresh-cut Kent mango cubes. Mangos treated with CaCl2 showed retarded softening during storage, and the retardation was greater at higher calcium concentrations. A consumer test was conducted to cluster consumers based on mango preference in order to correlate consumer liking and calcium treatments, as well as to uncover consumer intentions for in-store fresh-cut mango purchases. Treatment at 10°C with 0.136 M CaCl2 for 2.5 min for Tommy Atkins mangos and 1 min for Kent mangos was effective in retaining firmness during storage at 5°C and was also not disliked by consumers. A cluster analysis divided consumers into 2 preference groups, with Kent mangos significantly preferred over Tommy Atkins.