Abstract
This study was performed to evaluate the effects of added ingredients such as modified starch (MS), xanthan gum (XG), sugar, (SU), salt (SA), and vinegar (VIN) on the water mobility and physicochemical properties of model tomato ketchup and to investigate the correlation between the obtained variables and serum separation. The type and concentration of ingredients added to the tomato paste (TP) had significant effects on experimental variables, including the serum separation rate, water mobility, and viscosity. Serum separation was most severe in SU and VIN- added samples and minimal in MS and XG- added samples. Principal component analysis exhibited that several physical variables (T2 relaxation time, flow behavior properties, storage and loss modulus) were related to serum separation. The causes of these separation events may vary depending on the specific properties of the added ingredients. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-025-01947-3.