The effects of bruising and temperature on enzyme activity and textural qualities of tomato juice.

Background: During harvest and transportation, processing tomatoes are exposed to elevated temperatures, compression and vibration in the harvester and truck, making them prone to bruising. The objective of this study was to determine how bruising and exposure to high temperatures affect pectin methylesterase (PME) activation and the textural quality of tomato juice.

Results: Tomatoes were both hand and mechanically harvested using current harvest practices.