BIPLOT PRESENTATION OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL-BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND THE SENSORIAL QUALITY OF MINIMALLY PROCESSED LEEK STORED UNDER MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE

Several simultaneously occuring deterioration processes lead to quality loss of minimally processed vegetables stored under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Which process eventually will determine the end of the shelf-life depends on the external storing conditions, as well as on the internal product properties. Shelf life evaluation in a TTT-PPP study (Time Temperature Tolerance - Product Processing Packaging study) (Dalhoff and Jul, 1963) therefore requires the simultaneous judgement of several quality attributes or the simultaneous measurement of several objective parameters related to the different deterioration processes that may occur.

In the present study, changes in quality during the storage of minimally processed, MA packaged leek under different external conditions, was monitored by quantifying several sensorial attributes by means of a taste panel, as well as by measuring several deterioration related physiological-biochemical and microbiological parameters. Canonical correlation analysis was applied and biplots were produced in order to examine the relation between the two types of data and to investigate to which degree the microbiological and physiological-biochemical product characterization reflects the sensorial quality.