Investigation of the key factors that affect drip loss in Japanese strawberry cultivars as a result of freezing and thawing

• Published in: International journal of refrigeration 2022-02, Vol.134, p.189-196
• Main Authors: Kurokawa, Masaru, Kasai, Takuro, Sugino, Akane, Okada, Yuji, Kobayashi, Rika
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Berries; Cell membranes; Cell wall; Cultivars; Drip loss; Exsudat; Fraise; Freeze-thaw; Freezing; Frozen fruits; Fruits congelés; Melting; Paroi de la cellule; Pectin; Pectine; Strawberries; Strawberry; Sugar; Temperature effects
• ISSN: 0140-7007; 1879-2081
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2021.11.004

•The relationship between cell structure and drip loss in strawberry cultivars was investigated.•Damage to the cell membrane via freezing did not affect drip loss at any thawing temperature.•High amounts of HSP in the AIS of frozen strawberries can prevent drip loss from frozen strawberries thawed at 4 °C due to the high water holding capacity of itself.•The possibility has been found that neutral sugars in the pectin chains affected drip by altering the water holding capacity of the cell wall. The strawberry (Fragalia ananassa) is commonly used in industry and is thus often frozen; however, drip loss tends to occur following freezing and factors that may reduce drip loss remain unclear. In this study, the role that cell structure, particularly pectin and the cell membrane, has on the drip loss that occurs in different strawberry cultivars was investigated. The relationship between the cell structure in fresh or frozen strawberries and drip loss in thawed strawberries were investigated in ten Japanese strawberry cultivars, with results showing different amounts of drip loss in the various strawberry cultivars. The amount of HCl soluble pectin fraction (HSP) in frozen strawberries was found to correlate with drip loss when thawed at 4 °C. Higher amounts of HSP in the alcohol insoluble solid (AIS) of frozen strawberries showed a higher water holding capacity (WHC). It is therefore suggested that the WHC of the pectin chains in frozen strawberries, which may be adjusted by the neutral sugars in pectin, has the potential of regulating drip leakage during thawing.