Factors affecting the formation of a pink pigment in purees of onion
1965
A:PS
Details
Title
Factors affecting the formation of a pink pigment in purees of onion
Publication Date
1965
Call Number
A:PS
Summary
All varieties of onions tested showed some tendency to form a pink pigment after the bulbs were macerated and incubated at 40 C. White and red varieties developed more pink color than did yellow varieties. The stronger flavored varieties apeared to be more susceptible to pinking than the mild varieties, but results of 2 objective tests for estimating pungency did not correlate well with pinking. Pinking in any one variety varied with location grown, but there was no consistent pattern due to location. Susceptibility to pinking increased as the onions progressed from seedling to mature bulb. Low temperature storage decreased pinking susceptibility, but when held at 30 C, pinking susceptibility increased with storage time. Formaldehyde at concentrations of 3 to 10 ppm in the macerates greatly increased formation of the pink pigment. Addition to macerates of small amounts of acrolein, or 5-hexene-2-one, or garlic puree resulted in the formation of a blue pigment, indicating that the kind of carbonyl compound determines the color of pigment formed. [AS]
Journal Citation
v.86:475-483, AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE, PROCEEDINGS
Contact Information
harvest@worldveg.org
Record Appears in
Research > Published Articles