Evaluation of temperature and storage effects on the physical-chemical composition and sensory characteristics of minimally processed hard jack-fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.).

Minimally processed fruits and vegetables have been acquiring increasing importance in consumer markets due to their great convenience, high nutritional value, excellent sensorial quality and good sanitary security. The supply of minimally processed jackfruit is an excellent alternative, as the latex present in the fruit makes it more difficult to handle and consume. This work thus aimed to evaluate the impact of storage temperature (3 °C and 6 °C) on minimally processed jackfruits of firm texture, using physico-chemical and sensorial analyses. The minimally processed fruits showed significant differences in relation to the control fruits in terms of pH values, total soluble solids, total tritable acidity and vitamin C, with no difference in humidity. The minimally processed products exhibited sensory qualities similar to those of the fresh fruit, demonstrating the potential of using the fruit in this way. Rev. Ci. Agra., v.53, n.2, p.117-122, Jul/Dez 2010