Keywords

Potatoes, food storage

Abstract

Manufacturers of further processed potato products recognize consumer demand for convenience and the economy of transporting dehydrated commodities. Because of their bulkiness, dehydrated potato products are often sold in large containers, including No. 10 cans. The quality of such products available at the retail level has not been reported. The objective of this research was to compare the quality of several brands of dehydrated instant mashed potatoes packaged in No. 10 cans for retail sale. Eight brands of instant mashed potatoes, including two types (4 granules, 4 flakes) packaged in No. 10 cans were obtained from retail outlets representing at least five different manufacturers. A 50-member consumer panel evaluated aroma, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability using a 9 point hedonic scale. Other observations included can headspace oxygen, can seam evaluation and water activity. Regarding overall acceptability, mean hedonic scores for flakes and granules were 6.2 and 4.5 respectively. Within the sub categories of flakes and granules, overall acceptability of the highest brand was significantly different than the lowest brand: flakes ranged from 6.5 to 5.9 and granules ranged from 5.0 to 4.0. Headspace oxygen ranged from <100 ppm to 18%. The highest scoring flake brand had low headspace oxygen (180 ppm), suggesting that quality would be optimally retained during storage. However, several brands of flakes that scored high in sensory evaluation were not packaged to exclude oxygen and would likely not retain high quality during an extended storage period. Most observations of can seams fell within specifications. Water activity ranged from 0.31 to 0.46. There was significant variation in quality between brands of dehydrated instant mashed potatoes packaged in No. 10 cans for retail sale. Those who purchase instant potatoes should be aware of possible differences in headspace oxygen and quality differences among type and brand.

Original Publication Citation

Farnsworth H, Ogden LV, and Pike OA. July 23. Quality of dehydrated mashed potatoes retail packaged in No. 1 cans. Poster presentation. Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting.