PHYSIOLOGICAL AND TEXTURAL RESPONSE OF TRUFFLES DURING LOW-TEMPERATURE STORAGE

Truffles (Tuber aestivum Vitt.) were stored at 0 degrees C, 5 degrees C and 10 degrees C for 40 d, and ethylene, carbon dioxide and ethane p roduction was measured. No difference was observed between samples kep t at 0 degrees C and 5 degrees C while at 10 degrees C truffles underw ent decay and produced high amounts of ethylene, ethane and carbon dio xide. When truffles were stored in either low oxygen (1%) or high CO2 (60%) at 5 degrees C and 10 degrees C, ethylene was better controlled by high CO2 than low O-2. Even the weight loss of truffles treated in high CO2 was reduced. Studying the rheological characteristics by usin g TPA (Texture Profile Analysis), we observed that truffles stored in high CO2 at 5 degrees C kept values of hardness, gumminess and chewine ss similar to those of fresh samples. Frozen-thawed samples, as a comm ercial comparison, showed completely altered texture. The shape of TPA peaks are useful for the definition of truffle pulp texture. Carbon d ioxide treatment at 5 degrees C could be a good technique for storing fresh truffles because truffles keep their strong, typical odour bette r than samples kept in low oxygen which in addition was not able to co ntrol weight loss.