College Station, Texas
May 10, 2004
Texas A&M University's
Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center offers custom
analysis services for pungency and phytochemicals, according to
Dr. Leonard Pike, director.
"As this era of ‘foods for health' expands," Pike said,
"researchers are making available new information related to
flavor, nutrition and naturally occurring compounds that prevent
disease." The tests are offered to center members and other
companies ranging from seed companies to grocery stores to
individual growers, he noted.
The center has state-of-the-art analysis laboratories equipped
to test for pyruvic acid, soluble solids, carotenes, flavonoids,
capsaicin and vitamin C. Some test results can be available
within 48 to 72 hours.
Companies may request custom analysis of their products, Pike
noted.
Dr. Kil Sun Yoo, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station research
scientist and lab supervisor, has developed an automated system
for accurate and fast analysis of a large number samples. For
example, the center screened more than 10,000 onion bulbs last
year to help develop new milder onion varieties.
"We believe that our pyruvic acid testing system is the most
accurate and reliable method among those currently available,"
Yoo said.
The Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center is at
http://vic.tamu.edu |