Impact of a low water input, genotype and process on the texture of purees from two tomato cultivars

International audienceThe viscosity of tomato puree is a primary parameter for the industry which can be modified by changing processing methods or by using adapted cultivars known for their ability to produce viscous puree. Differences in viscosity are also observed between production years and irrigation levels, due to their influence on fruit composition. To our knowledge, there is no documentation of the detailed mechanisms involved when texture changes due to the effects of genotypes, processes or growing conditions. In this study we present the results obtained with purees from two different genotypes, two irrigation treatments and two processes (hot- or cold-break) during two years. Their viscosity was regarded according to their soluble solid and total dry matter content, the particles sizes distribution, and serum viscosity. A partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of the collected data indicates that various mechanisms occurred when viscosity changed between cultivars and process. The growing conditions had an impact, but did not change the ranking of samples obtain according to the two former effects