Texture changes of processed fruits and vegetables: potential use of high-pressure processing

In processed fruits and vegetables, changes in texture are strongly related to transformations in cell wall polymers due to enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. A major challenge is how to use recent advances in processing technologies and to adjust raw materials, ingredients and processes to improve texture of processed plant based foods. This review focuses on the plant cell wall structure and the processing dependent changes in plant cell walls with focus on enzymatic and non-enzymatic degradation of pectin. Stability as well as catalytic activity of two major plant endogenous pectin degrading enzymes, namely pectinmethylesterase and polygalacturonase, towards elevated pressure and temperature is reviewed. Finally, the effect of processing on texture of plant based foods and different approaches to improve the texture of processed plant based foods (i.e. preheating, phenolics, washing/dipping/infusion pretreatments, high-pressure pretreatments and genetic modification) are discussed. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.