FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF LOCALLY PROCESSED TOMATO PASTE AND TOMATO POWDER

Abstract

Extending the shelf life of tomatoes is very important for domestic and export marketing, which can be achieved through different preservative techniques such as dehydration and processing into different forms. The research is aimed at determining and comparing the functional properties of locally processed tomato paste and tomato powder sourced from Eke market in Afikpo, Ebonyi State. The parameters assessed are Water Absorption Capacity (WAC), Oil Absorption Capacity (OAC), Water Soluble Index (WSI), Bulk Density (BD) and pH value. The data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mean separation done using Tukey’s method at 5% level of probability. From the results between the two samples, the water absorption capacity of tomato powder (9.55±0.01), was significantly different at p < 0.5 from that of the tomato paste (3.78±0.02), while that of the oil absorption capacity was higher in tomato powder (4.56±0.03) and was significantly different from that of the tomato paste (4.02±0.02 ). The water solubility index of the tomato powder was (90.64 ±0.01) while the tomato paste had a value of (0.13± 0.02). However, the bulk density was found to be highest in tomato powder (0.44±00) while the tomato paste was observed to record no bulk density value. The pH value was higher in tomato powder (4.23±0.04) when compared to tomato paste (4.07±0.03). In conclusion, locally processed tomato powder had higher functional properties than tomato paste, and can be used as an enriching additive for food fortification and a thickening agent in the formulation of commercial foods like tomato ketchup.