Journal of Economic Entomology (1994) 87, 181-186

Frank G. Zalom and Allan Jones (1994)
Insect fragments in processed tomatoes
Journal of Economic Entomology 87 (1), 181-186
Abstract: Undamaged tomato fruit batches were adulterated with either lab-reared Spodoptera exigua larvae, Keiferia lycopersicella larvae, or damaged fruit (some containing larvae) collected from several California inspection stations at densities equivalent to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10% infestations. Commercial processing procedures were used to process tomatoes in 22.7-kg batches at the University of California, Davis, pilot plant and to can them as juice. Two screen sizes, 0.0825-cm mesh 'juice' screens and 0.15-cm 'paste' screens, were used during processing for comparison. The cans were opened, and 200-ml samples were removed and examined for larval fragments and insect fragments other than Lepidoptera larvae. Regression analysis of percentage infested tomatoes before processing and number of larval fragments in 200-ml samples of the resulting processed tomato product indicated a positive and significant linear relationship for all contaminants added and screen sizes. No positive relationship was observed for those batches with K. lycopersicella larvae. The lowest residual root mean square values were obtained for the batches in which damaged fruit was added. Low levels of insect fragments were found in most samples including those which were not infested with Lepidoptera larvae, indicating that natural infestations of other insects can result in some fragments in the processed product and that the paste and juice screens currently used, for processing tomatoes do not remove all fragments.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Frank G. Zalom

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
damage/losses/economics

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Spodoptera exigua	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
	Keiferia lycopersicella	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)