ENZYMATIC BROWNING INHIBITED IN FRESH AND DRIED APPLE RINGS BY PINEAPPLE JUICE

Sliced apple rings were treated with water (control), canned pineapple juice, frozen pineapple juice, ion-exchanged pineapple juice, frozen orange juice, ascorbic acid, a commercial antibrowning preparation or sodium bisulfite. The rings were either left exposed to air, vacuum packaged, or dehydrated. Browning was measured colorimetrically and by visual examination over extended periods of time. Pineapple juice was an effective browning inhibitor in both fresh and dried apples. Pineapple juice was fractionated using various size and charge separation procedures. All fractions inhibited enzymatic browning of crude apple extracts by at least 26%. Results indicate that the inhibitor is a neutral compound of low molecular weight.