Quality properties of fruits as affected by drying operation

The increasing consumption of dried fruits requires further attention on the quality parameters. Drying has become necessary because most fruits are highly perishable owing to their high moisture content and the need to make them available all year round and at locations where they are not produced. In addition to preservation, the reduced weight and bulk of dehydrated products decreases packaging, handling and transportation costs. Quality changes associated with drying of fruit products include physical, sensory, nutritional, and microbiological. Drying gives rise to low or moderate glycemic index (GI) products with high calorie, vitamin and mineral contents. This review examines the nutritional benefits of dried fruits, protective compounds present in dried fruits, GI, overview of some fruit drying methods and effects of drying operations on the quality properties such as shrinkage, porosity, texture, color, rehydration, effective moisture diffusivity, nutritional, sensory, microbiological and shelf stability of fruits.     

Evaluation of different drying systems as an alternative to sun drying for figs (Ficus carica L)

The aim of this work was to study the effect of different drying systems on the quality characteristics of dried figs as an alternative to sun drying. Fresh figs were dried as follows: drying in a convection oven at different temperatures; pre-treatment by soaking in osmotic solutions at different concentrations; pre-treatment with K₂CO₃ + olive oil, combined or not with osmotic solutions; pre-treatments with ultrasound combined or not with osmotic solutions; sun drying (control). Moisture, water activity, microbial counts, firmness and sensory quality were measured at the beginning, at the mid-way and at the end points of the drying process. The figs dried with all the artificial drying systems tested needed between 1 and 3 days to reach the required moisture content of 24% wet basis (w.b.), while the sun dried figs needed 15 days to reach the optimal moisture. Regarding mold counts, firmness and sensory quality, the best results were observed for the treatments with ultrasound combined with osmotic solutions. Thus, this treatment could be a good alternative to the sun drying process.Industrial relevanceSun drying of figs is a widely-spread practice in tropical and subtropical countries. Nevertheless, the slowness of the process, depending on the climatic conditions, can result in diverse problems such as the loss of quality and dramatically increases the rapid growth and proliferation of microorganisms such as molds which can produce mycotoxins, resulting in high losses of the product and consequently, economic losses. Therefore, the major problem of these fruits is fungal growth and subsequent mycotoxin production, which are considered an important problem throughout the world in terms of public health, agriculture and economics. For this reason, there is an increasing demand by the productive sector for the development of new drying technologies to shorten the drying time and to enhance the safety of these products by reducing or even inhibiting fungal proliferation due to the optimal and controlled drying conditions of these proposed technologies. This study represents a great opportunity to apply new techniques in order to reduce the drying period and to obtain a product with suitable sensory, safety and quality characteristics. Therefore, this study is a useful tool which will help the productive sector, which is in a critical situation, to avoid all problems mentioned above.     

不同干燥方式对颗粒状果蔬品质变化的影响

分别对真空微波干燥、冷冻干燥、热风干燥及热风与真空微波联合干燥等不同干燥方式对颗粒状果蔬质量变化的影响进行了讨论，以VC和叶绿素的保持、色泽的差异、收缩和复水性能等为质量参数，分别进行比较。真空微波干燥在以上各质量参数方面，虽比冻干产品有一定差距，但远优于常规热风干燥。采用常规热风与真空微波联合干燥方式也能较好地改善颗粒状果蔬的品质。     

Colour,phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of some fruits dehydrated by a combination of different methods

The objective of this study was to improve product quality of dehydrated fruits (apple, pear, papaya, mango) using combined drying techniques. This involved investigation of bioactivity, colour, and sensory assessment on colour of the dried products as well as the retention of the bio-active ingredients. The attributes of quality were compared in regard to the quality of dehydrated samples obtained from continuous heat pump (HP) drying technique. It was found that for apple, pear and mango the total colour change (ΔE) of samples dried using continuous heat pump (HP) or heat pump vacuum-microwave (HP/VM) methods was lower than of samples dried by other combined methods. However, for papaya, the lowest colour change exhibited by samples dried using hot air–cold air (HHC) method and the highest colour change was found for heat pump (HP) dehydrated samples. Sensory evaluation revealed that dehydrated pear with higher total colour change (ΔE) is more desirable because of its golden yellow appearance. In most cases the highest phenol content was found from fruits dried by HP/VM method. Judging from the quality findings on two important areas namely colour and bioactivity, it was found that combined drying method consisted of HP pre-drying followed by VM finish drying gave the best results for most dehydrated fruits studied in this work as the fruits contain first group of polyphenol compounds, which preferably requires low temperature followed by rapid drying strategy.     

Quality comparison of dried slices processed from whole persimmons treated with different deastringency methods

The effects of different deastringency treatments (untreated, carbon dioxide, warm water, or ethanol), before drying on the quality characteristics of dried fruit slices prepared from whole “Cheongdobansi” persimmons were evaluated. L* (lightness) and a* (redness) values of dried slices from warm water- and ethanol-treated groups were higher, respectively, compared to that of dried slices from other groups. Hardness was lower in dried slices from ethanol-treated fruits. Moisture, water activity, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and sensory properties (color, aroma, texture, sweetness, and overall acceptability) of the dried slices from astringency-removed fruits were higher when compared to those of the dried slices from non-treated persimmons. In particular, the dried slices from ethanol-treated fruits showed the highest values for these parameters. Moreover, soluble tannin and DPPH radical scavenging activity decreased by deastringency treatment. Results suggest that ethanol deastringency treatment before drying could be a useful method to improve most quality characteristics, except antioxidative activity, of dried persimmon slices.     

草莓切片微波真空干燥特性及干燥品质研究

提高水果干燥效率、干制品质量和降低干燥能耗,对草莓切片进行微波真空干燥,研究草莓切片微波真空干燥特性及其干后品质。通过二次回归正交试验,建立各指标与干燥功率、样品厚度及干燥室压力等因素间的回归数学模型,分析草莓切片微波干燥特性,讨论干燥功率、样品厚度及干燥室压力等因素对干制品的复水率、VC 保存率和干燥能耗的影响。结果表明：随着样品厚度与压力的降低和干燥功率的增加,干燥速率增加;随着样品厚度的增加和干燥功率与压力的降低,复水率和VC 保存率增加;随着样品厚度与干燥功率的增加和压力的降低,干燥能耗减少。最后,利用多目标非线性优化方法,确定了草莓切片微波真空干燥最优工艺参数,即微波功率6.18W/g、切片厚度5.05mm、干燥室压力55.19Pa。     

Shrinkage of Food Materials During Drying: Current Status and Challenges

The structural heterogeneities of fruits and vegetables intensify the complexity to comprehend the interrelated physicochemical changes that occur during drying. Shrinkage of food materials during drying is a common physical phenomenon which affects the textural quality and taste of the dried product. The shrinkage of food material depends on many factors including material characteristics, microstructure, mechanical properties, and process conditions. Understanding the effect of these influencing factors on deformation of fruits and vegetables during drying is crucial to obtain better‐quality product. The majority of the previous studies regarding shrinkage are either experimental or empirical; however, such studies cannot provide a realistic understanding of the physical phenomena behind the material shrinkage. In contrast, theoretical modeling can provide better insights into the shrinkage that accompanies simultaneous heat and mass transfer during drying. However, limited studies have been conducted on the theoretical modeling of shrinkage of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to critically review the existing theoretical shrinkage models and present a framework for a theoretical model for the shrinkage mechanism. This paper also describes the effect of different drying conditions on material shrinkage. Discussions on how the diverse characteristics of fruits and vegetables affect shrinkage propagation is presented. Moreover, a comprehensive review of formulation techniques of shrinking models and their results are also presented. Finally, the challenges in developing a physics‐based shrinkage model are discussed.     

Major Australian tropical fruits biodiversity: bioactive compounds and their bioactivities

The plant kingdom harbours many diverse bioactive molecules of pharmacological relevance. Temperate fruits and vegetables have been highly studied in this regard, but there have been fewer studies of fruits and vegetables from the tropics. As global consumers demand and are prepared to pay for new appealing and exotic foods, tropical fruits are now being more intensively investigated. Polyphenols and major classes of compounds like flavonoids or carotenoids are ubiquitously present in these fruits, as they are in the temperate ones, but particular classes of compounds are unique to tropical fruits and other plant parts. Bioactivity studies of compounds specific to tropical fruit plants may lead to new drug discoveries, while the synergistic action of the wide range of diverse compounds contained in plant extracts underlies nutritional and health properties of tropical fruits and vegetables. The evidence for in vitro and animal bioactivities is a strong indicator of the pharmacological promise shown in tropical fruit plant biodiversity. In this review, we will discuss both the occurrence of potential bioactive compounds isolated and identified from a selection of tropical fruit plants of importance in Australia, as well as recent studies of bioactivity associated with such fruits and other fruit plant parts.     

Performance of Drying Technologies to Ensure Microbial Safety of Dried Fruits and Vegetables

Dried fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices are produced in and sourced from many countries worldwide, but they have been increasingly reported to be involved in outbreaks and alerts due to the presence of foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella. These dried products are mainly produced by solar drying and conventional air drying, but a wide range of drying technologies are available. From a technological point of view the general trend is to optimize and standardize the drying process to ensure high‐quality products to be offered. Drying technologies are mainly evaluated for their performance to reduce water activity at low energy cost while maintaining good sensorial quality of the dried product. However, as low water activity foods are increasingly recognized to support microbial survival and dried products are often consumed as they are, or are used as ingredients in many ready‐to‐eat foods, there is increasing attention to the microbiological quality and safety aspects of these products. This review presents traditional and emerging technologies to dry fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices and discusses their potential to inactivate bacteria and viruses throughout the drying process. Overall, the microbial inactivation effect of the presented technologies has not yet been thoroughly assessed, even for traditional methods like solar drying, conventional air drying, or freeze‐drying. Emerging technologies such as dielectric (assisted) drying and low‐pressure superheated steam drying have been shown to reduce microbial populations; however, the number of studies is still low. Very few studies have focused on viral inactivation during drying processes.     

果蔬和水产品新型干燥预处理技术研究进展及未来展望

果蔬和水产品营养价值丰富,但含水率较高,极易引起微生物生长繁殖,进而导致腐败变质.干燥是延长果蔬和水产品货架期的有效途径,但干燥时间长、干制品品质差是限制该领域发展的瓶颈问题.采用热力或非热力预处理可有效提高干燥效率,改善干制品品质.基于此,本文综述了果蔬和水产品新型烫漂(高湿气体射流冲击烫漂、红外辐射烫漂、微波烫漂、...     

Effect of drying temperature on polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of apricots

This study was carried out in order to check for the influence of drying parameters on the phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity on two apricot cultivars (Pelese and Cafona) using two sets of air drying temperatures: (1) air temperature at 55 °C; (2) air temperature at 75 °C. Whole fresh and dried fruits were assessed for: phenolics, ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity and redox potential (all parameters were calculated on a dry matter basis). Analysis of data shows that the decrease in chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acid in Cafona cultivar is higher at the lower drying temperature. Catechin showed the same behaviour of hydroxycinnamic acids in both cultivars, while the decrease in the other compounds was significantly more marked in the sample dried at 75 °C. The antioxidant activity increased significantly in Cafona fruits and this increase was confirmed by a diminution of the redox potential.     

Electrohydrodynamic drying: Can we scale-up the technology to make dried fruits and vegetables more nutritious and appealing?

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) drying is a promising technology to better preserve the nutritional content and sensory appeal of dried fruits and vegetables. To successfully scale up this technology, we need to rethink the current EHD dryer designs. There is also a significant potential to further enhance the nutritional content and sensory quality of the dried products by optimizing EHD process parameters. This study particularly highlights the current bottlenecks in scaling up the technology and improving nutrient retention and sensory appeal of the dried products. We discuss plausible future pathways to further develop the technology to produce highly nutritious dried products. Particular emphasis has been given to quantifying the residual nutritional and sensory properties of EHD dried products, and possible EHD dryer configurations for farmers and the industry. Concerning the nutritional content, EHD drying preserves vitamins, carotenes, and antioxidants significantly better than convective air drying. From the sensory perspective, EHD drying enhances the color of dried products, as well as their general appearance. With respect to scalability, placing the fruit on a grounded mesh electrode dries the fruit much faster and more uniformly than the grounded plate electrode. Future research should be directed toward simultaneous measurements of multiple food nutrients and sensory properties during EHD drying with a grounded mesh collector. Quantifying the impact of the food loading density on drying kinetics and energy consumption of the EHD drying process should also be a future research goal. Research comparing EHD drying with commercially available drying methods such as freeze-drying, microwave-drying, and infrared drying should also be carried out. This study gives promising insight toward developing a scalable novel thermal drying technology tailored to the requirements of the current and future society.     

干燥方式对果蔬风味物质影响研究进展

近年来,我国果蔬加工业发展迅速,脱水果蔬加工已经成为增加农民收入提高农业效益、促进我国区域经济发展,在国内外市场占据较大优势的重要行业。然而,果蔬的风味物质是评价果蔬品质的重要指标,在干燥加工过程中其风味物质的种类及含量会发生较大的变化,本文重点概述了目前国内外关于热风干燥、真空冷冻干燥、微波干燥和联合干燥以及其它干燥技术对果蔬挥发性风味物质和非挥发性风味物质2个方面的影响以及不同干燥技术引起风味物质变化的原因方面的研究进展,在阐述当前国内外果蔬干燥技术在风味物质上的研究现状的基础上,分析了现状及存在的问题,提出了干燥技术在果蔬风味物质中的应用研究可能发展的方向,为干制果蔬风味品质的研究提供参考。     

Distinctive exotic flavor and aroma compounds of some exotic tropical fruits and berries: a review

The characteristic flavor of exotic tropical fruits is one of their most attractive attributes to consumers. In this article, the enormous diversity of exotic fruit flavors is reviewed. Classifying some of the exotic fruits into two classes on the basis of whether esters or terpenes predominate in the aroma was also attempted. Indeed, as far as exotic tropical fruits are concerned, the majority of fruits have terpenes predominating in their aroma profile. Some of the fruits in this group are the Amazonian fruits such as pitanga, umbu-caja, camu-camu, garcinia, and bacuri. The ester group is made up of rambutan, durians, star fruit, snake fruit, acerola, tamarind, sapodilla, genipap, soursop, cashew, melon, jackfruit, and cupuacu respectively. Also, the role of sulphur-volatiles in some of the exotic fruits is detailed.     

Production of bread crumbs by infrared-assisted microwave drying

This study is aimed to investigate the possibility of using infrared-assisted microwave drying for production of bread crumbs and to determine drying conditions in halogen lamp-microwave combination oven to produce bread crumbs with the highest quality. Bread crumb dough were dried from about 40.9 to 8% moisture content by conventional, microwave, infrared and infrared-assisted microwave drying separately and in combinations. Halogen lamp and microwave power levels of 30, 50 and 70% were used. Percent reduction in the drying time were 80.2–94.0 for infrared, 96.5–98.6 for microwave and 96.8–98.6 for infrared-assisted microwave drying. ΔE values were lower in microwave drying and higher in infrared drying. Infrared-assisted microwave dried crumbs generally had similar color values with the conventionally dried ones. Effect of power on color change was not observed. All drying methods were found to be effective in increasing water binding capacity, which increased with microwave power in microwave drying but the influence of halogen lamp power was not seen in infrared drying. At fixed microwave (halogen lamp) powers increase of halogen lamp (microwave) power did not affect the water binding capacity in infrared-assisted microwave drying.     

High power airborne ultrasound assist in combined drying of raspberries

A new approach to fruit drying with the application of ultrasound to enhance convective and combined convective–microwave drying is presented. High-power ultrasound was used in the experimental studies, in which the acoustic energy significantly affected the drying of sensitive biological material like raspberries. The raspberries were first subjected to pure convective drying as a reference process and then to hybrid drying as a combination of convective, microwave and ultrasound drying methods. The combined hybrid processes significantly improved the drying kinetics as well as the energy utilization, however, not in each case given the acceptable product quality in comparison with the pure convective drying. The global model of drying was used to compare the theoretical drying kinetics with the experimental one. Moreover, the effectiveness of ultrasound-assisted convective drying was evaluated in terms of drying rate and such ultrasound phenomena as “heating effect”, “vibration effect” and “synergistic effect” were analyzed.Industrial relevance1. Research objectivesProduct quality is a very important indicator that enables to assess the effectiveness of the drying process. For biological materials such as vegetables and fruits, that are characterized by instability and a delicate and sensitive internal structure to temperature, quality is a priority because it determines the functional value of these products. The traditional drying techniques, eg. convective drying, affect negatively on the final quality of dried biomaterials. Due to long exposure to a relatively high temperature and a high content of harmful oxygen in the drying agent, there is a change in the internal structure, deterioration of the sensory properties (color, aroma, texture) and changes in chemical composition (loss of bioactive components). One of the recommended modes to minimize these adverse changes is to carry out the drying process in non-stationary conditions. This method is based on the periodical changes in the process parameters such as temperature, humidity or flow rate. As a result, product quality is definitely better, at approximately the same drying time. Alternatively, drying may be carried out by hybrid method, providing the energy by a combination of several mechanisms, such as convection with microwave radiation, or with ultrasounds, which also leads to a significant improvement in quality of dried fruits and vegetables.The purpose of this article is a deep analysis of the effect of variable hybrid drying conditions, ie. cyclic supply of microwave and ultrasound energy during convective drying on a variety of properties of dried biomaterials. The research assumes that if drying results in changes of the biological material properties, a modification of the process parameters should minimize its negative effects and gain better quality products. The authors believe that a proper and skillful combination of different drying techniques will develop an optimal and effective drying method of thermo-labile materials, which retains their high quality, with reduced time and lower power consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the convective drying with microwave and ultrasound enhancement, in order to select the best process parameters for the established objective functions.2. Research project impactThe experimental results will contribute to the development of modern drying technologies of biological materials, characterized by, eg.:

• •much better and more controlled product quality (low level of processing),
• •much shorter process time resulting from the intensification of heat and mass processes due to additional sources of energy (microwaves and ultrasounds),
• •lower energy consumption resulting from the possibility of carrying out the drying process at much lower temperatures of the drying agent.

The expected results of the drying tests relate to the development of research activities in this field and to link a cooperation between science and industry. The effective transfer of new solutions in the field of chemical engineering and technology between science and industry is a hope of improving the quality of dried products, as well as the rational use of raw biomaterials (to prevent their losses from reaching about 50% of produced foods). The proposed drying method will also have a positive value for consumers and contribute to the reduction in influence of that branch of industry on the environment. In the consideration of the increasing demands of product quality, the need for better control of unit processes and minimization of its energy intensity, this new technique would be extremely competitive with currently used, expensive and environmentally damaging drying methods.     

Effects of ultrasound and infrared assisted conductive hydro-drying,freeze-drying and oven drying on physicochemical properties of okra slices

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a nutritious vegetable but it is highly perishable and drying is one of the best methods for its preservation. Ultrasound and infrared assisted conductive hydro-drying (UIACHD) is a new patented drying method that can dry food materials with high quality and high energy efficiency. In this study, okra slices were dried using UIACHD with different settings and also by freeze-drying and oven drying. The UIACHD drying curves, moisture content, color, vitamin C content, hydrocolloids rheology and microstructure of the dried okra sample as affected by drying method were investigated. Drying curves showed that the application of ultrasound and infrared could increase the drying rate. In terms of quality parameters, UIACHD performed significantly better than oven drying and the quality of the products was comparable to freeze-drying. Flow and oscillation rheology tests showed that UIACHD drying could result in okra hydrocolloids with higher apparent viscosity and the application of ultrasound and infrared has preserved the rheological properties of the okra hydrocolloids. The microstructure of the dried okra slices was also well preserved by UIACHD. This study showed that UIACHD is a suitable drying method for maintaining the physicochemical quality of dried okra.Industrial relevanceDried okra can be used as a nutritious and functional ingredient in the formulation of different products such as soups, sauces and other culinary products. This study shows that ultrasound and infrared assisted conductive hydro-drying can be a suitable method for the production of high quality dried okra with well-retained color, nutritional value and rheological properties.     

干制方式对鲜食枣食用及营养品质的影响

通过对微波真空冷冻干燥(microwave vacuum freeze drying,MVFD)、微波真空膨化(microwave vacuum puffing,MVP)、真空冷冻干燥(vacuum freeze drying,VFD)和中短波红外干燥(short-and medium-wave infrared drying,ID)4种干制加工的鲜食枣食用及营养品质进行分析,以期明确干制方式对鲜食枣营养特点的影响。结果表明:干制加工显著提高鲜食枣总糖、还原糖含量(P0.05),除ID外,干制后总酸含量均显著降低(P0.05),产品褐变程度低,糖酸比明显提高;MVFD对VC保留率高达98.62%;MVP和MVFD后总酚含量显著提高(P0.05),分别为4 721.30 mg/100 g(以干质量计,下同)和4 516.25 mg/100 g;VFD后黄酮含量增加到80.51 mg/100 g。微观结构方面,VFD鲜食枣密集多孔,呈蜂窝状;MVFD鲜食枣孔大均匀;MVP鲜食枣结构疏松,多小分子颗粒;ID鲜食枣紧实致密,无空腔结构。感官评定方面,MVFD和MVP对鲜食枣色泽、香气、口味和外形的综合评价接近于VFD。综合来看,MVFD和MVP对鲜食枣加工具有显著优势,且效率高成本低,应用前景广阔。     

Influence of harvesting and drying techniques on microflora and mycotoxin contamination of figs

Mould growth and mycotoxin (aflatoxins and ochratoxin A) formation were examined in the 1993 dried figs crop. The relationships between mould/mycotoxin contamination and orchard conditions, different harvesting techniques, harvesting time and intactness of fruits were investigated. The fruits were examined during drying and effects of different pretreatments, sun drying and solar drying on the mould and mycotoxin contamination in figs were also studied. Aflatoxins (B₁, B₂, G₁ and G₂) were not present in the firm or shrivelled ripe figs. Among the samples examined during drying, only one of the 32 samples was found to be aflatoxin positive. Ochratoxin A was not detected in any of the samples analysed. The moisture content, a_w and pH values of full ripe and shrivelled fruits were suitable for mould growth and mycotoxin formation while these parameters in pretreated and dried fruits were found to be too low to allow such outcome. It was observed that harvesting the fruit by hand-treating with different solutions and application of solar drying were effective in reducing contamination level.     

Effects of infrared heating on drying kinetics,antioxidant activity,phenolic content,and color of jujube fruit

This study investigated the effects of different infrared power (IP) levels (62, 88, and 125 W) and a pretreatment (soaking in a solution of 5 % potassium carbonate and 0.5 % olive oil) on the drying kinetics and some quality parameters of jujube fruit. The drying characteristics of jujube were greatly influenced by the pretreatment and IP level. The models of Lewis, Logarithmic, Page, and Aghbashlo et al. were fitted to the obtained experimental data using nonlinear regression analysis. The Page model showed a better fit to the experimental drying data when compared to the other models. The effective moisture diffusivity, calculated using Fick’s second law, ranged from 4.75 × 10^?10 to 4.17 × 10^?9 m²/s. Significantly, higher total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity values were obtained for the pretreated samples subjected to higher IP levels. The total color change (ΔE) of the dried samples significantly increased with increasing IP level. Jujube fruits should be pretreated and then dried at 88 W IP to reduce phenolic degradation and undesired color changes and to increase the quality of the dried product.