Student NameJohn Carriglio
Faculty Mentor NameDr. Paul Sarnoski
CollegeCollege of Agricultural and Life Sciences
MajorFood Science
Research InterestsFlavor Chemistry
OrganizationsCALS UF College Bowl Team
Hobbies and InterestsReading, home-brewing, hiking, sports

Research Project

The Effect of Cull Tomatoes on Tomato Juice Quality

Cull tomatoes make up 20-40% of all tomato production in Florida, posing an enormous waste problem. If these tomatoes produce juice that is similar in flavor and quality to juice from non-cull tomatoes, this research could present an important landmark in reducing tomato waste in Florida. The prospective tomatoes will be obtained from a packing house during harvest season. The skin and seeds will be removed mechanically, and a hot break and pasteurization will be performed on the juice. Microbiological tests on PetriFilm will also be conducted to assess safety. Finally, volatile analysis through gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) will be performed. This data will be compared to previous data obtained in the PI’s lab, allowing for conclusions to be made about the juice quality.