Improved antioxidant properties and sustainability of whole-fruit yellow tomato puree

Abstract

In this study, a new process was proposed to make the yellow tomato puree more sustainable, avoiding any waste during production and including peels and seeds in it. In addition, as raw material tomatoes grown without irrigation and fertilisation procedures were used to increase the sustainability. With respect to a traditional puree, the whole-fruit yellow tomato puree contained more β-carotene and polyphenols, exhibiting greater antioxidant capacity, and showed greater consistency due to the high content of pectin in peels. Moreover, a higher content of glutamic acid, responsible for the umami taste, was detected particularly in products from GiaGiù ecotype. Sensory analysis assessed that whole-fruit yellow tomato puree has good acceptability and consumers preferred it for the texture. In conclusion, the whole-fruit yellow tomato puree is not only a sustainable product but can be also used as an excellent ingredient in food formulation with antioxidant properties.