Effect of drying method on the sorption characteristics of model fruit powders

Pectin-sugar gels were dehydrated with four different drying methods: freeze, microwave, vacuum and conventional drying to a moisture content of about 5%. The effect of the drying method on the water sorption properties of dehydrated products was evaluated at 25 °C. Freeze-dried gel adsorbed more water vapour than microwave-dried gel, which had a higher sorption capacity than vacuum- and conventional-dried product. The sorption isotherms were in agreement with the reported shape for high sugar foodstuffs. Three different equations proposed in the literature (GAB, Oswin, Hasley) were used to fit the sorption data. The GAB equation gave the best fit to the experimental data. The porosity of the dehydrated products depended on the drying method, ranging between 0.2 and 0.5. Freeze- and vacuum-dried pectin developed the highest porosity, whereas the lowest porosity was obtained using conventional and microwave drying. Hunter colour parameters (L, a, b) also depended on the drying method. The colour of freeze- and vacuum-dried pectin was close to that of commercial pectin, while the colour of the conventional- and microwave-dried product changed significantly.     

Changes of quality characteristics of pepino fruit (Solanum muricatum Ait) during convective drying

Quality assessment of pepino fruit preserved through convective dehydration was investigated in this work. The effect of process temperature (50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C) on physicochemical properties, colour, non‐enzymatic browning, vitamin C, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and firmness of the fruit were considered. When comparing the fresh with the corresponding dehydrated pepino samples, it was shown that the drying conditions resulted in important reductions of proteins and crude fibres. Discoloration of fruit was noticeable for all treatments due to effects of non‐enzymatic browning and changes in chromatic coordinates leading to a modification of the original colour. Regarding vitamin C and total phenolic content, an increase of drying temperature resulted in a considerable reduction of both initial compounds contents. Antioxidant activity showed an important decrease especially at low temperatures (e.g. 50 °C). Softening of the dried product was observed for all the treatments indicating structural modifications of the fruit due to thermal process.     

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.     

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.     

Single Layer Drying Characteristics of Half Fruit Tomato

Drying kinetics of half fruit tomatoes were investigated in a laboratory dryer at the temperature of 35–65°C and air velocity of 0.13–1.00 m/s. The optimum drying conditions in terms of drying rate, colour and growth of microorganisms were also identified. Drying rate and shrinkage increased significantly with the increase in air temperature. But the red colour (a?) decreased significantly with the increase in air temperature. Drying rate increased with the increase of air velocity up to 0.75 m/s. The optimum drying air conditions was the temperature 55°C and air velocity 0.75 m/s, when drying time, colour, ripeness and growth of microorganisms were considered. Microorganisms (molds and fungus) were grown at or below 40°C temperature and it could be prevented by sodium metabisulphite pretreatment. The experimental data were fitted to six different single layer drying models and Midilli-Kucuk-Yapar model was found the best to predict the moisture content.     

Evaluation of the chemical composition and colour in long‐life tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) dehydrated by combined drying methods

When tomatoes are submitted to treatments of drying, depending on the parameters and methods used, the concentration or degradation of nutrients can occur. The changes in the composition and colour were verified when different drying processes were used. Freeze drying, oven drying, the combination of both and also the effect of the pretreatment (blanching) using steam were studied. The fresh tomato composition was compared with the composition of dehydrated tomato powder. After dehydration, the moisture content reduced 78% from the total initial moisture. In addition, a nutrient concentration was observed with an increase of about 57% of citric acid content and 3% in the pH. The ash content also increased from 0.53% to 8% (15 times) and 60%, the carbohydrates from 3.94% to 60% (15 times) and the proteins were increased from 1% to 11% (10 times). The blanching resulted in different types of changes, such as greater stability for the proteins, carbohydrates, fat, lycopene and β‐carotene.     

Fluidized bed and tray drying of thinly sliced mango (Mangifera indica) pretreated with ascorbic and citric acid

The purpose of this work was to determine the influence of air temperature, sample diameter and antioxidants on water activity, moisture content and colour difference of thinly sliced mango in a fluidized bed and tray dryer. Mango samples were treated with antioxidants solutions (ascorbic and citric acid) before the drying process. Fluidized bed and tray drying of control and treated samples were carried out at two temperatures: 50 and 60 °C. A fractional factorial design 2^4?1 was used in both drying methods. The Newton semi‐theoretical model was found to represent thin‐layer drying kinetics of mango. For both drying types, moisture content of thinly sliced mango was well characterised (R² ≥ 0.975) by the model. The temperature increment increases the drying constant and decreases the equilibrium moisture content and water activity of the dehydrated samples. Colour closest to the original colour of fresh mango was obtained when 2 cm diameter mango pretreated with citric acid (1%) was dehydrated by fluidized bed at 60 °C. In addition, it was observed that the drying time at equilibrium by using fluidized bed was lower (60 min) than the tray dryer (120 min).     

Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of organic fruits subjected to PEF-assisted osmotic dehydration

The effect of PEF pre-treatment prior to osmotic dehydration on mass transfer parameters, colour, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties in organic strawberries and kiwifruits was evaluated. An increase of water loss in both fruits upon the application of combined processes was noticed (up to 21.6%), while a decrease of solid gain was observed only in kiwifruit samples dehydrated in sucrose (about 45%). In general, the combined treatments were beneficial for colour maintenance in both fruit tissues. The antioxidant capacity (DPPH) and activity (ORAC) increased after PEF treatment, however, all the combined treatments reduced significantly these values (of about 20 and 28% for strawberry and of about 56 and 35% for kiwifruit, respectively for DPPH and ORAC methods). In general, PEF treatment alone was also effective with regard to an increase in the antimicrobial activity of the samples against the tested microorganisms (B. subtilis, E.coli, S. cerevisiae).Industrial relevancePEF pre-treatment coupled with osmotic dehydration could be applied at industrial level to obtain semi-dried fruit products. Moreover, both processes could be used as pre-treatments for drying process, in order to develop healthy and microbiologically stable fruit snacks. In fact, in the present work we observed that PEF pre-treatment alone promoted higher antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The combined process decreased both parameters, suggesting that an accurate study is necessary to evaluate the benefits of these processes in terms of bioactive compounds retention and time and energy consumption in further drying process. The results of the present study could be used as a starting point for the industries to design novel products with intermediate moisture content intended for further processing.     

Quality improvement of non-sulphited mango slices by drying at high temperatures

An optimum drying routine for producing non-sulphited mango slices has been developed. The interaction of essential drying parameters (air temperature, air velocity, dew point, slice thickness and drying time) on water activity (a_W) and browning was determined. Microbiological stability of the dried product was achieved at a moisture content of 17% wet base (w.b.) corresponding to a_W = 0.6. Browning was monitored by the red colour shade of the product (CIE-Lab chromaticity coordinate a*). Drying air temperature and drying time were shown to be the primary factors influencing product colour and a_W. In contrast to common practice, drying for about 6 h at elevated air temperature (80 °C), instead of 50 or 60 °C for a longer time, was optimal, since significant colour changes of the mango slices were not observed even without the use of any chemical or thermal pre-treatment. Moreover, at increased temperature, drying time was considerably shortened from about 9 h to 6 h, resulting in significant extension of the drying capacity.

Industrial Relevance

The suggested process concept for dried mango slices based on high-temperature drying is of utmost significance for the international marketing of dried fruit products. Chemical pre-treatments such as sulphitation often used to minimise quality deficiencies could be avoided. Sulphitation has been recently under critical consideration with respect to allergen labelling of foodstuffs implemented by EU-Member States in November 2004 (Directive 2003/89/EC) [Directive 2003/89/EC. Official Journal of the European Union, 25.11.2003, pp. L308/15–18 (http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_308/l_30820031125en00150018.pdf)]. Export quality was improved and the drying process simplified, improving the utilisation of drying capacities. Particularly referring to an application of the technology in small- and medium-sized enterprises with limited investment possibilities, the suggested novel drying procedure in mango processing aimed at the optimisation of well-established simple drying methods instead of choosing technically more sophisticated technologies.     

Batch drying of banana pieces — effect of stepwise change in drying air temperature on drying kinetics and product colour

Slices of banana were dried in a two-stage heat pump dryer capable of producing stepwise control of the inlet drying air temperature while keeping absolute humidity constant. Two stepwise air temperature profiles were tested. The incremental temperature step change in temperature of the drying air about the mean air temperature of 30°C was 5°C. The total drying time for each temperature-time profile was 240 min. The drying kinetics and temporal colour change of the products dried under these stepwise variation of the inlet air temperature were measured and compared with constant air temperature drying. The effects of the profile starting temperature and cycle time on both drying kinetics and product quality were also studied. It was observed that by employing stepwise-varying drying air temperature with appropriate starting temperature and cycle time, it was possible to reduce significantly the drying time to reach the desired moisture content with improved product colour.     

MOISTURE EQUILIBRIA of SOME DEHYDRATED CASSAVA and YAM PRODUCTS

The moisture content for optimum stability of the products made from cassava (gari and lafun) and yam (elubo and instant pounded yam flour) were calculated from equilibrium moisture data using the BET equation. The sorption properties for products (lafun and elubo) that were not precooked prior to final drying were similar. the moisture content for optimum stability of the cassava and yam products lies between 6.5–8.0% under conditions that simulated distribution and marketing of the products. Storage tests confirm that the calculated moisture values from the sorption isotherms indicate that aside from differences in the pretreatment conditions the poor keeping qualities of the products could be improved by further drying to moisture levels of 6.5–8.0% prior to packaging in moisture proof containers.     

Combined calcium pretreatment and ultrasonic/microwave drying to dehydrate black chokeberry: Novel mass transfer modeling and metabolic pathways of polyphenols

In this study, black chokeberries were dehydrated by sequential calcium pretreatment and ultrasonic/microwave drying. The investigation focused on exploring the mechanisms of water transport and metabolic pathways of polyphenols. A diffusional model was modified by considering the factors such as shrinkage, porosity and temperature-dependent water diffusivity to simulate the moisture transport. Accordingly, the Spatio-temporal evolutions of cytoplasm water, extracellular water and total water content in black chokeberry throughout drying were successfully revealed. On the other hand, the quality attributes involved in the metabolic pathways of polyphenols, i.e., free/bound phenolics, cell wall pectin, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) or peroxidase (POD), and viscoelastic properties under these drying treatments were intensively analysed. Through correlation analysis, it was found that CaCl₂ pretreatment strengthened the oxidation of free procyanidin B₂ by PPO. In contrast, both ultrasound and microwave drying weakened the negative influence of PPO on the stability of free rutin. Besides, temperature rise promoted the loss of free polyphenols and the degradation of cell wall pectin, weakening the attachment of bounded-caffeic acid on the cell wall. This investigation provides new physical and chemical understandings about fruit drying and reveals the potential benefits of hybrid drying technologies.     

微波辅助热风干燥预处理对油炸紫薯片品质的影响

为研究微波辅助热风干燥预处理对油炸紫薯片品质的影响,以厚度为3 mm的新鲜紫薯片为对象,首先采用不同微波功率(259、280、358 W)辅助热风(50、60、70 ℃)干燥方式对紫薯片进行预干燥,对不同微波功率(259、280、358 W)干燥后的紫薯片油炸8、3.5、2.5 min,研究紫薯片预处理过程的干燥特性及花青素含量,以及油炸紫薯片产品的色泽、脆度、硬度和脂肪含量等。结果表明:随着微波预处理功率的升高,紫薯片达到干燥终点的时间缩短(90 min以上),平均干燥速率显著提高;并且热风干燥温度越高,微波预处理对干燥效率的促进作用也越明显。而低功率(259 W)的微波辅助50 ℃热风干燥联用更有利于干燥紫薯片花青素的留存;较低功率(259、289 W)的微波预处理不仅在保护产品颜色上具有优势,还可以使得油炸紫薯片更高的硬度和更好的脆性。在不同微波预处理功率下,油炸紫薯片的脂肪含量最低值基本一致。本研究可为微波辅助热风技术在干燥紫薯及其他农产品干燥中的应用提供参考。     

Dehydrated Maple Syrup

Selected grades of maple syrup (34% moisture) were dehydrated by two dissimilar methods. Differences in color and flavor of reconstituted dried products and the maple syrups from which they were derived were minimal. Moisture content, bulk density, hygroscopicity and ease of reconstitution of the dehydrated products showed minimal divergence from corresponding values for the table sugar used as a standard. Microscopic examination showed very different structures for table sugar and each of the two dehydrated products. This study of some important physical characteristics indicates that either of the dehydrated products would provide the maple industry with a new and useful product. The lower moisture content, greater weight per unit volume and method of continuous manufacture make the patent product preferable.     

STORAGE STABILITY OF DEHYDRATED FOOD EVALUATION OF LITERATURE DATA

Literature data on storage stability of dehydrated foods were compiled and critically evaluated. Stability of nine different groups of dehydrated products is reported in terms of time required to produce earliest quality defects, and in terms of specific quality measurements at time of failure, where these were available. Methods of drying, storage and pretreatment are also reported for each product. The paper also discusses the contribution of various factors to stability of dehydrated foods, as well as research needs in this area.     

Viscoelastic behaviour of dehydrated products during rehydration

Viscoelastic behaviour of dehydrated products during rehydration of apple, banana, carrot and potato was examined under uniaxial compression tests. Samples were dehydrated with four different drying methods: conventional, vacuum, freeze and osmotic-freeze drying and after that they were rehydrated in an air dryer at 50°C and 80% air humidity. Compression tests were performed during rehydration for various moisture contents, ranging from 0.01 to 1.5 kg/kg dry basis. The viscoelastic behaviour of dehydrated products during rehydration were examined comparing the values of the four parameters incorporated into the stress–strain model, during rehydration with those of dehydrated products. The four examined parameters: maximum stress, maximum strain, elastic parameter and viscoelastic exponent seem to show a hysteresis phenomenon. It can be concluded that dehydrated product do not keep their viscoelastic behaviour after rehydration due to structural damages that occur during drying. More specifically, freeze dried materials present the highest hysteresis after rehydration, losing their elasticity and becoming more viscous. Osmotic pretreatment seems to help freeze dried materials to keep their elastic nature, probably due to solids gain. Air and vacuum dried materials showed the smallest hysteresis tendency, keeping their viscoelastic characteristics during rehydration close to those of dried materials.     

Impact of limited drying on Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng. aril carotenoids content and antioxidant activity

Food product based on gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.) arils have a high potential due to the high carotenoids content of this fruit. Drying is a key preparation step for carotenoids extraction from gac fruit in a economically viable process. The impact of different drying technics, temperature, final product moisture content on the carotenoid content, hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant activity (evaluated with three methods) and color of the gac arils is discussed based on laboratory scale experimental tests. The results highlight an optimal temperature between 50 °C and 60 °C to conserve the color, the carotenoid content and the antioxidant activity. Also, these properties are better preserved by limiting the drying to dry based moisture content between 15% and 18% while the advantages of drying for further processing and for refrigerated conservation for a few months are achieved.     

Effect of Convective and Vacuum–Microwave Drying on the Bioactive Compounds,Color, and Antioxidant Capacity of Sour Cherries

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of microwave power during the vacuum–microwave drying (VMD) on sour cherries in terms of drying kinetics, including the temperature profile of dried material, as well as on some quality factors of the finished product including phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and color. The content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and color change were used as quality indicators of dried sour cherries. Sour cherries were dehydrated by convective drying (CD) at temperatures of 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C and by VMD at the initial microwave power of 240 W, 360 W, and 480 W reduced to 240 W and 120 W in order to avoid a rapid increase in temperature at the critical moisture content of ca. 1 kg/kg dry mass. Control samples were prepared by freeze drying (FD). The increase in air temperature during CD as well as the increase in material temperature during VMD deteriorated dried product quality in terms of the content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and color, which was consistent with anthocyanins content. However, VMD turned out to be much better than CD and competitive to FD. The best quality of the dried product and its more attractive color were achieved at VMD at 480 W followed by drying at microwave power reduced to 120 W, which corresponds to anthocyanins content. In addition, the drying process had a positive impact on contents of quercetin and keampferol derivatives. Dried sour cherries have a long shelf life and therefore may be a fine alternative to fresh fruit all year round.     

Low humidity air drying of apple slices: Effect of EMR pretreatment on mass transfer parameters,energy efficiency and quality

The apple slices were treated with electromagnetic radiations (EMR) namely, infrared (IR) and microwave (MW) and dried using low humidity air (LHA) and normal hot air (HA) at 40 °C. The effect of EMR pretreatment on drying kinetics, mass transfer, shrinkage, porosity, energy efficiency and product quality was evaluated. The combination of EMR pretreatment with LHA drying reduced the drying time by 23.4 to 27.3%, and the dried product had lower shrinkage (60 to 65%) as well as higher porosity (0.38 to 0.45) compared to control. Among the EMR pretreatments, IR treated slices retained a higher amount of ascorbic acid (78.68%), phenolic content (74.42%), antioxidant activity (79.54%) and better color compared to MW treated. EMR pretreatment reduced the energy requirement for drying by 26.5 to 37.1%. The mass transfer parameters (moisture diffusivity and mass transfer coefficient) estimated using the analytical model proposed by Dincer and Dost showed higher values for EMR treated samples. Moisture content predicted for both the drying methods showed good agreement with experimental values. The present study demonstrated that for heat sensitive products like apple, a combination of IR pretreatment and LHA drying could be effective for reducing drying time as well as energy requirements and also to obtain better quality products.     

Development of smoothies from dehydrated products of strawberry and banana pulps obtained through foam-mat drying

Dehydrated products from strawberry and banana pulps were obtained through foam-mat drying and subsequently used for production and evaluation of smoothies. For that, six smoothies were prepared, with different proportions of dehydrated strawberry and banana products (40–60%, 50–50% and 60–40%, respectively), each reconstituted in whole milk or cold water (w/v). Smoothies with 50–50% and 60–40% of dehydrated strawberry and banana products, respectively, reconstituted in whole milk, stood out for their degree of liking of appearance and colour because of the lighter colour and instrumentally measured viscosity. The smoothie with 40% strawberry and 60% banana reconstituted in milk stood out by the degree of liking of its odour, viscosity and flavour, its overall acceptance, ideal intensity of sweetness and fruit flavour, as well by its colour hue. Our study shows the feasibility of using dehydrated products of strawberry and banana pulps through foam-mat drying in smoothies, highlighting smoothies reconstituted in milk.