Ricerc@Sapienza

Strawberries belonging to cultivar Clery (Fragaria x ananassa (Duchesne ex Weston)), cultivated in central Italy were subjected to a multi‐methodological experimental study. Fresh and defrosted strawberries were exposed to different processing methods, such as homogenization, thermal and microwave treatments. The homogenate samples were submitted to CIEL*a*b* color analysis and Head‐Space GC/MS analysis to determine the impact of these procedures on phytochemical composition.

As known, color plays a dominant role in orienting consumer choices. Beyond the individual perception, color expressed by foodstuff is strictly associated to quality, genuineness, work-up and storage conditions and could be correlated with the presence of a characteristic chemical profile. This represents a matter of crucial importance in functional foods, where bioactive molecules are often intensely colored and in all foods whose composition change could undergo bleaching and browning processes.