Influence of different gel complexes on flavour and colour change in Chongcai paste during storage

Four types of Chongcai paste (pectin/xanthan/Chongcai, pectin/CMC-Na/Chongcai, CMC-Na/xanthan/Chongcai and pectin/CMC-Na/xanthan/Chongcai) were prepared, and the changes of flavour and colour of pastes were studied during fifteen days of storage. Nine pungent volatiles were detected in Chongcai paste; among the nine volatiles, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) was the major component, and two volatiles (1-isothiocyanatobutane and n-pentylisothiocyanate) were detected in Cruciferae family plants for the first time. Pectin/xanthan complex applied in the paste proved to have the best capability in holding flavour, and CMC-Na/xanthan was the worst. A pseudo-second order kinetics model was applied to describe the colour change of pastes during storage for the first time, and the results suggested that the colour degradation could be well interpreted by the pseudo-second order kinetic model.