Effect of disinfectants on utilization of culled tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) for extraction of lycopene

Abstract

Bulk of tomatoes are being wasted due to improper postharvest handling operation, viz., unscientific packaging, rough loading and unloading at field and market, poor transportation facilities and due to market glut causing excess of tomatoes piled up as waste in market yard. Utilization of such culled tomato for extraction of lycopene was investigated. Culled tomatoes were disinfected by dipping in hot water (45°C), chlorinated water (0.1%), chlorine dioxide (0.1%), sodium hypochlorite (0.1%), potassium metabisulphite (0.1%) for five minutes and culled tomatoes dipped in tap water and no dip were used as control T1 and T2 respectively. The culled tomatoes pre-treated with the hot water recorded maximum recovery of lycopene (20.46 mg 100g-1) as compared to control (18.60 mg 100g-1). Chemical disinfection methods showed decrease in lycopene content after disinfection and chlorine dioxide recorded very few colony forming units (6.66 CFU counts) with least recovery of lycopene (15.23 mg 100g-1).