The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavior of unsalted garlic paste during a three months period. The main cause of quality loss in garlic paste is a darkening of the product due to the action of poliphenolases enzymes. Citric acid was used to control this darkening. Processing of the garlic paste comprised the following steps: immersion treatment, peeling, reduction to paste in a cutter, addition of citric acid and potassium sorbate to avoid the development of deteriorative microorganisms, packing into plastic pots and glass jars, partial de-aeration in a vacuum chamber and storage at room temperature. The final product was submitted to microbiological analyses, physical evaluation of the color and sensory evaluation of color and aroma. The acidification curve showed that it was necessary to add 2.1g of citric acid per 100g of garlic to lower the initial pH value to 4.0. The garlic paste remained microbiologically stable during the storage period. The physical and sensory analyses of color matched, and although darkening occurred, the product remained adequate for three months. There was a loss of the characteristic odor, but no differences were detected between the two types of package.
garlic; paste; citric acid; glass; plastic
