Chinese wolfberry and tomato primary pulp compounding method based on NFC (near field communication) technology

Abstract

The invention provides a Chinese wolfberry and tomato primary pulp compounding method based on the NFC technology, and belongs to the technical field of food processing, Chinese wolfberry and tomato compounded primary pulp is prepared by compounding tomato primary pulp and Chinese wolfberry primary pulp according to the volume ratio of 7.9: 2.1. Through a systematic sensory evaluation experiment, the gold volume ratio of tomato to wolfberry compounding is determined to be 7.9: 2.1. Under the proportion, the product successfully covers the lingering bitterness possibly brought by the Chinese wolfberry fruits, the lingering bitterness and the natural sour taste of the tomatoes are perfectly balanced, the unique taste which is palatable in sourness and sweetness, harmonious in flavor and rich in hierarchy is formed, and the sensory evaluation score is the highest and is remarkably superior to that of similar products sold in the market.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing technology, specifically relating to a method for compounding wolfberry and tomato puree based on NFC technology. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous improvement of national health awareness and the upgrading of consumption structure, natural, nutritious plant-based beverages with specific health benefits are increasingly favored by the market. Tomatoes and goji berries, as two widely recognized medicinal and edible resources, have had their health value extensively proven: tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which has strong antioxidant activity and plays a positive role in beauty and skin care, and maintaining prostate health; goji berries are rich in active ingredients such as goji polysaccharides, β-carotene, and zeaxanthin, and have significant effects in nourishing the liver and kidneys, improving eyesight, and regulating immunity. The combination of the two has the potential for natural synergistic functional development.

[0003] Currently, there are beverages on the market made from tomatoes or goji berries, but most of them are single-ingredient juices, concentrated juices, or simply mixed fruit and vegetable juices. From a functional perspective, most pure tomato juices only contain lycopene-like antioxidants and lack immune-regulating active substances, failing to meet consumers' demand for multifunctional nutritional beverages. Some pure goji berry juices, on the other hand, have limited functional components and a noticeable bitter aftertaste, limiting their target audience. Neither type of single-ingredient beverage can achieve the complementary nutrients and synergistic health benefits between different ingredients.

[0004] In the field of compound fruit and vegetable juices, existing products lack scientific research on formulation ratios. Most products use a 5:5 or 6:4 ratio of tomato to goji berries. According to industry sensory evaluation data, the bitterness sensory score of goji berries in products with this ratio is only 22-25 points. At the same time, the natural sourness and astringency of tomatoes cannot be effectively neutralized, resulting in insufficient overall flavor harmony. Furthermore, there is an over-reliance on exogenous additives to enhance the flavor. Statistics show that more than 75% of commercially available tomato and goji berry compound juices add 0.5-1.2% white sugar, 0.02-0.05% citric acid, or artificial flavorings to adjust the flavor, which not only masks the original flavor of the raw materials but also violates consumers' core demands for clean labels and natural health.

[0005] Therefore, we propose a method for compounding wolfberry and tomato puree based on NFC technology to solve the problems mentioned above.

[0006] The information disclosed above in this background section is only for enhancing the understanding of the background section of this invention, and therefore may include prior art that is not known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for compounding goji berry and tomato puree based on NFC technology, in order to solve the problems mentioned in the background art, such as the single function of tomato or goji berry beverages, the lack of synergy between nutritional and health care functions, and the unscientific ratio of existing tomato and goji berry compound fruit and vegetable juices, which leads to low flavor coordination and excessive reliance on exogenous additives to enhance the taste.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a goji berry and tomato puree based on NFC technology, which is made by blending tomato puree and goji berry puree in a volume ratio of 7.9:2.1. The tomatoes are Busan 88 cherry tomatoes from Hezheng County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, and the goji berries are Jingyuan goji berries from Jingyuan County, Baiyin City.

[0009] The preparation method of wolfberry tomato puree based on NFC technology includes the following steps:

[0010] Step 1: Wash and press the tomatoes and goji berries separately to obtain tomato puree and goji berry puree;

[0011] Step 2: Perform UHT ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization on the tomato puree and goji berry puree obtained in Step 1 respectively;

[0012] Step 3: Measure the tomato puree and goji berry puree in a volume ratio of 7.9:2.1;

[0013] Step 4: Mix the tomato puree and goji berry puree together and mechanically stir for 5-10 minutes at room temperature until evenly mixed to obtain the compound puree.

[0014] When the preparation scale is 50-500 liters, the mechanical stirring time in step two is 10-20 minutes.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0016] This invention, through systematic sensory evaluation experiments, determined the optimal volume ratio of tomatoes to goji berries to be 7.9:2.1. At this ratio, the goji berry and tomato blend successfully masked any potential bitterness from the goji berries and achieved a perfect balance with the natural acidity of the tomatoes, resulting in a unique taste that is pleasantly sweet and sour, harmonious in flavor, and rich in layers. It achieved the highest sensory evaluation score, significantly outperforming similar products on the market.

[0017] This invention is based on the mechanism of action of core functional factors such as lycopene and wolfberry polysaccharides, and involves a scientific formulation. The two components exert a synergistic effect in antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and immune regulation, achieving nutritional complementarity and functional enhancement, thus meeting market demand for functional foods.

[0018] The above overview is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. Further aspects, embodiments, and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description, in addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above. Attached Figure Description

[0019] none Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0021] A goji berry and tomato puree based on NFC technology is made by blending tomato puree and goji berry puree in a volume ratio of 7.9:2.1. The tomatoes are Busan 88 cherry tomatoes from Hezheng County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, and the goji berries are Jingyuan goji berries from Jingyuan County, Baiyin City.

[0022] The preparation method of wolfberry tomato puree based on NFC technology includes the following steps:

[0023] Step 1: Wash and press the tomatoes and goji berries separately to obtain tomato puree and goji berry puree;

[0024] Step 2: Perform UHT ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization on the tomato puree and goji berry puree obtained in Step 1 respectively;

[0025] Step 3: Measure the tomato puree and goji berry puree in a volume ratio of 7.9:2.1;

[0026] Step 4: Mix the tomato puree and goji berry puree together and mechanically stir for 5-10 minutes at room temperature until evenly mixed to obtain the compound puree.

[0027] When the preparation scale is 50-500 liters, the mechanical stirring time in step two is 10-20 minutes.

[0028] The experimental instruments and materials are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0029] Table 1 Experimental Apparatus

[0030]

[0031] Table 2 Experimental Materials

[0032]

[0033] Example 1: Sensory evaluation of wolfberry and tomato blended puree

[0034] Raw materials were weighed according to volume ratios of tomato puree to goji berry puree of 9:1, 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, and 5:5, respectively, and mixed evenly to prepare samples. Sensory evaluation and physicochemical index testing were performed on the prepared products. Five subjects were selected for a blind trial, and scores were given without knowing the proportions of the ingredients, with a maximum score of 100 points, as shown in Table 3. Sensory evaluation of the experimental products was conducted on four aspects: color, aroma, taste, and overall acceptability. The test group consisted of five healthy subjects (inclusion criteria: no history of smoking or alcohol abuse, no history of taste / olfactory dysfunction, and strong sensory discrimination ability). Subjects rinsed their mouths with water before each sensory evaluation to reduce sensory evaluation errors. The average score of the five subjects' sensory evaluations was used as the indicator to select the best group for subsequent experiments.

[0035] As shown in Table 4, the sample average score was the highest when the ratio was 8:2, which was 86.6 points.

[0036] To further optimize, ten refined gradients were set between 8:2 and 7:3 volume ratios: 8.0:2.0, 7.9:2.1, 7.8:2.2, 7.7:2.3, 7.6:2.4, 7.5:2.5, 7.4:2.6, 7.3:2.7, 7.1:2.9, and 7.0:3.0. A second round of sensory evaluation was conducted, with each ratio tested three times and the average score taken. As shown in Table 5, when the volume ratio of tomato puree to goji berry puree was 7.9:2.1, the average sensory score of the sample reached the highest value, 85.6 points. Therefore, this ratio was determined to be the optimal blending ratio.

[0037] Table 3. Sensory Evaluation Criteria for Experiments (Total Score: 100 points)

[0038]

[0039] Table 4 Scoring Table for Compound Ratio Optimization Experiment

[0040]

[0041] Table 5 Scoring Table for Secondary Optimization Experiment of Compound Ratio

[0042]

[0043] Example 2: Optimized compounding process

[0044] The total volume of each sample group was fixed at 10 mL, including 7.9 mL of tomato puree and 2.1 mL of goji berry puree. Three mixing methods were investigated: magnetic stirring at 200 rpm, mechanical stirring, and ultrasonic stirring at 40 kHz. Two stirring durations were also tested: 5 minutes and 10 minutes, for a total of 6 experiments. The refractive index was measured before stirring and after standing for 1, 6, and 12 hours, and the precipitate was observed to evaluate the homogeneity and stability of the system.

[0045] Table 6 Optimization of Compounding Process

[0046]

[0047]

[0048] As shown in Table 6, no visible precipitates were observed in any of the groups during the observation period. Analysis of the refractive index variation showed that the mechanical stirring group exhibited the largest variation, followed by the ultrasonic stirring group, while the magnetic stirring group remained the most stable. However, all absolute values ​​of the variations were extremely small, indicating that the system itself possessed good stability and high process tolerance at this ratio. Considering the feasibility, efficiency, and cost of industrial production, mechanical stirring for 5 minutes at room temperature was ultimately selected as the standard mixing process. Under these conditions, the product was uniformly mixed and exhibited stable physicochemical properties.

[0049] Example 3 verifies the sensory differences between the baseline formulation determined by this invention and commercially available products and other modifications.

[0050] Five parallel samples were used for double-blind sensory evaluation: the first group was commercially available Xiaochu brand tomato and goji berry juice; the second group was an exploratory formula with tomato:goji berry:sea buckthorn = 5:4:1; the third group was the baseline formula of this invention with tomato:goji berry = 7.9:2.1; the fourth group was commercially available Zhaojun brand red tomato and goji berry puree; and the fifth group was a sample with 0.005 g / 10 mL citric acid added to the baseline formula. Five evaluators scored the samples.

[0051] Table 7. Taste Comparison Experiment Scoring Table

[0052]

[0053] As shown in Table 7, the third group of benchmark formulations of this invention achieved the highest average score of 80.4, which is similar to and the best in terms of taste acceptance, compared to the sample with added citric acid (80.0). This is significantly better than the two commercially available products and other compound formulations. This demonstrates that by using a precise 7.9:2.1 volume ratio, optimal flavor balance can be achieved without additional flavoring agents.

[0054] Example 4: Scale-up Experiment of Preparation Process

[0055] Following the optimal volume ratio of 7.9:2.1 determined in Example 1 and the process conditions determined in Example 2, 50 mL and 500 mL samples of the goji berry and tomato blended puree were prepared, respectively. Blind tasting was conducted by five sensory evaluators. All evaluators indicated that the two scaled-up samples showed no significant differences in color, aroma, taste, and mouthfeel compared to the 10 mL laboratory sample. This demonstrates that the formulation and process provided by this invention have good scalability and reproducibility, providing a reliable basis for industrial production. For larger-scale production, the stirring time can be extended to 10-20 minutes to ensure mixing efficiency.

[0056] Example 5: Measurement of basic indicators

[0057] The sensory evaluation is shown in Table 8. The product is uniformly orange-yellow in color, with a complex fruity aroma and flavor that is harmonious with tomatoes and goji berries. It has a moderate sweet and sour taste, a uniform texture, and no visible foreign impurities.

[0058] Table 8 Product Sensory Quality Evaluation Table

[0059]

[0060] The pH value of the experimental product was measured using a pH meter. Three measurements were taken: 4.05, 4.07, and 4.06. The average value was 4.06. The refractive index of the experimental product was measured using an Abbe refractometer. Three measurements were taken: 1.372, 1.371, and 1.369. The average value was 1.371.

[0061] In summary, this invention utilizes scientific compounding technology to overcome the limitations of traditional single-ingredient formulations, developing a compound product of goji berry and tomato pulp that combines functional synergy, stable taste, and market differentiation. This product can be used as a base for functional beverages or consumed directly, fully leveraging the synergistic effects of both ingredients in their health benefits. It meets market demand for nutritional supplements, provides consumers with more health options, and offers raw material support for the subsequent development of health foods or pharmaceutical formulations.

[0062] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A goji berry and tomato puree based on NFC technology, characterized in that, It is made by blending tomato puree and goji berry puree in a volume ratio of 7.9:2.

1.

2. The wolfberry and tomato puree based on NFC technology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tomatoes are Busan 88 cherry tomatoes from Hezheng County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, and the goji berries are Jingyuan goji berries from Jingyuan County, Baiyin City.

3. A method for preparing the wolfberry and tomato puree based on NFC technology as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Wash and press the tomatoes and goji berries separately to obtain tomato puree and goji berry puree; Step 2: Perform UHT ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization on the tomato puree and goji berry puree obtained in Step 1 respectively; Step 3: Measure the tomato puree and goji berry puree in a volume ratio of 7.9:2.1; Step 4: Mix the tomato puree and goji berry puree together and mechanically stir for 5-10 minutes at room temperature until evenly mixed to obtain the compound puree.

4. The method for preparing wolfberry and tomato puree based on NFC technology according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the preparation scale is 50-500 liters, the mechanical stirring time in step two is 10-20 minutes.

5. The application of the NFC-based wolfberry and tomato puree as described in claim 1 in the preparation of functional beverages.

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