Physicochemical and Sensory Characteristics of Arabic Gum-Coated Tomato (Solanum LycopersicumL.) Fruits during Storage

The effects of gum arabic surface coating (5-20% aqueous gum solution) on physicochemical and sensory properties of mature red tomato fruits during 16 days of storage at 10 +/- 1C were investigated. The firmness of uncoated fruits was significantly (P0.05) lower, while weight loss was higher than coated ones. Uncoated tomatoes had higher total soluble solids, low acidity and fluctuating pH values. The values of L and b of the fruits decreased, while that of a increased during storage. The hue angle of the fruits significantly decreased, but total color change significantly increased during storage. The chroma and browning index of fruits increased slightly, while the color index increased significantly. Gum coating showed a better retention of all these physical, chemical and optical parameters of stored tomatoes. Panelists' results showed that gum-coated tomato fruits have acceptable sensory quality. Practical Applications Tomato is an important food commodity from nutritional and commercial point of view; however, freshly harvested tomato fruits have shorter shelf life in the market. Strategies to preserve its physicochemical and sensorial characteristics have significance for grower, processor and seller. We observed that gum arabic coating effectively preserved different quality attributes of tomato fruits for 16 days while stored at even more than normal refrigeration temperature. Our findings are valuable for those involved in tomato fruit handling and processing.