Researchers at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences made four types of tomato juice, combining six UF/IFAS tomato varieties.

In this study, scientists wanted to know how heat treatments impact flavor compounds in tomato juices. Generally, more heat treatment gets rid of the fresh and fruity characteristics typically found in a high-quality fresh tomato purchased from the produce section of the grocery store, said Paul Sarnoski, a UF/IFAS associate professor of food science and human nutrition and lead author of the study.

In their attempts to see the degree to which consumers liked heat-treated tomato juice, researchers made two types of products. One was refrigerated and meant to be sold like fresh orange juice; the other was shelf-stable and would be sold unrefrigerated.

They then tested the tomato juices on about 600 people participating in consumer test panels at the UF Sensory Lab on the main campus in Gainesville. Scientists found that consumers preferred juice stored on shelves over refrigerated juice, by just a tad.

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By and large, the biggest market for Florida tomatoes remains food services. They’re not generally harvested for processed products, such as juice, paste and more. But they’re still fresh, whole tomatoes.

For years, researchers have toiled to help breeders develop the genetic traits to give UF/IFAS-bred tomatoes more flavor.

Now, for a newly published study, scientists used six UF/IFAS varieties to process into six different tomato juices. In three testing panels comprising a total of 255 consumers, researchers asked the testers at the UF Sensory Lab how they tasted and smelled. The verdict: two “thumbs-up.” While other varieties fared well in the tests, panelists consistently rated juice made from the Garden Gem significantly higher for aroma, flavor and texture.

“I think this study shows that Florida tomatoes are viable for making processed tomato products,” said Paul Sarnoski, a UF/IFAS associate professor of food science and human nutrition. “Our juice exhibited better flavor – with more fresh and fruity attributes closer to that of a fresh-picked tomato.”

The Sensory Testing Lab sits rather inconspicuously in the middle of campus. Few people come or go. But inside, volunteers test some of the future foods you’ll eat. These flavor panelists act like focus groups in the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department Sensory Testing Lab, or Building 120, as it’s also known.

Many scientists bring their fruit and vegetable varieties to the lab, said Charles Sims, a UF/IFAS professor of food science and human nutrition. Food companies, faculty and graduate students use the lab to conduct research on the aroma, texture and flavor of foods, said Sims, who runs the lab.