Tomato Aroma Retention via Controlled Oxygen and Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Processed tomato products, such as tomato juice and ketchup, often lack sufficient tomato aroma inherent to fresh tomatoes due to existing production methods that fail to preserve the volatile compounds responsible for the fruit's aroma.
Innovation Solution
A method involving washing, crushing, and extracting tomato juice while maintaining low temperatures (15-40°C) and temporarily increasing the dissolved oxygen concentration of the crushed tomatoes and extracted juice to 6 mg/L or higher, followed by deaeration and heating, to enhance the retention and intensity of tomato aroma compounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional heating and processing methods are used to produce tomato products, then processing efficiency and sterilization are improved, but tomato aroma compounds are lost or degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by maintaining low temperature (15-40°C) during crushing and juice extraction before heating. This preliminary temperature control preserves aroma compounds during the extraction phase, and temporary aeration (raising dissolved oxygen to 6 mg/L or higher) further protects these compounds. Only after these preliminary preservation steps is heating applied for sterilization, thus resolving the contradiction between processing efficiency and aroma retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by temporarily altering the dissolved oxygen concentration (raising to 6 mg/L or higher during extraction, then reducing to 3.5 mg/L or below before heating) and maintaining specific temperature ranges (15-40°C) during critical extraction phases. These parameter modifications protect aroma compounds during processing while still allowing effective sterilization heating to occur subsequently.
2Loss of substance
If temperature is maintained low during crushing and extraction, then aroma compound retention is improved, but processing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary low-temperature extraction and crushing to preserve aroma compounds, then follows with rapid heating for sterilization. This sequence of preliminary preservation followed by rapid processing resolves the speed-retention contradiction by optimizing each phase for its specific purpose.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by temporarily raising dissolved oxygen concentration to 6 mg/L or higher during the low-temperature extraction phase, which appears to enhance aroma compound stability and extraction efficiency. This parameter modification allows better aroma retention even at lower temperatures, partially mitigating the processing speed reduction.
3Quantity of substance
If dissolved oxygen concentration is raised temporarily during extraction, then aroma component concentration is improved, but oxidation of other components may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by raising dissolved oxygen concentration temporarily only during the crushing and extraction phases when aroma compounds need to be liberated and preserved. After extraction, the oxygen concentration is reduced to 3.5 mg/L or below before heating. This time-limited oxygen exposure achieves aroma enhancement while minimizing oxidative damage to other components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action through the temporary, controlled elevation of dissolved oxygen concentration during specific processing stages (crushing and extraction), followed by reduction before heating. This periodic oxygen exposure pattern maximizes aroma compound benefits while limiting oxidation risks to other sensitive components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively increases the concentration of aroma components like hexanal and hexenals in processed tomato products, as demonstrated by GC/MS analysis and sensory evaluations, resulting in products with a stronger tomato aroma.
Implementation Method 1
temperature of the crushed tomatoes and the extracted juice from immediately after the crushing until immediately before the deaerating is maintained at 15-40° C.
Implementation Method 2
the dissolved oxygen concentration of the crushed tomatoes and/or the extracted juice is raised at least temporarily to 6 mg/L or over
Implementation Method 3
heating the deaerated juice
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for producing a processed tomato product having more tomato aroma inherent to grown tomatoes. Tomato fruits are washed and crushed. Juice is extracted from the crushed material, the extracted juice is deaerated and the deaerated material is heated. The crushed material and the extracted juice from immediately after the crushing until immediately before the deaerating are maintained at temperature of 15-40° C. The dissolved oxygen concentration of the crushed tomatoes and/or the extracted juice from immediately after the crushing until immediately before the deaerating is raised at least temporarily to 6 mg/L or over, and the dissolved oxygen concentration of the deaerated juice immediately before the heating is reduced to 3.5 mg/L or below.