Pectins in Processed Fruits and Vegetables: Part III - Texture Engineering

Current interest in controlling the textural and rheological properties of processed fruit and vegetable products has stimulated research on the biochemistry of the cell wall, with particular reference to pectin and its degradation. This review covers the literature over the last decade with respect to pectin engineering in the field of fruit and vegetable processing. Several applications, illustrating that refined manipulation of chemical and/or enzymatic pectin degradation can be used as a tool to improve the texture/rheology of thermally processed and frozen fruit and vegetable products, are described. The discussion includes an evaluation of the role of novel technologies such as high-pressure processing in pectin engineering of processed fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the possible role of pectin-related enzymes other than pectin methylesterase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PG) and of the nontraditional, ferulic acid-mediated cross-linking process is discussed. Finally, new trends, challenges, and suggestions for future pectin engineering research are covered in this review.