EFFECT OF HIGH-PRESSURE PROCESSING ON TEXTURE AND DRYING BEHAVIOR OF PINEAPPLE

The effect of high-pressure processing on texture and drying behavior of pineapple slices was investigated. Pineapple slices were high pressure processed at 50, 100, 300, 500 and 700 MPa at 25C for 10 min. The control, hot water-blanched and high-pressure processed samples were then dehydrated at 70C. Application of high pressure reduced the sample hardness, springiness and chewiness while it had no significant effect on cohesiveness of pineapple. Elevated pressure treatment (≥500 MPa) reduced drying time more effectively than for the other pretreated samples. Experimental dehydration data were empirically fitted using six thin-layer drying models. Among the models tested, logarithmic model best described the drying behavior of pineapple slices. The effective moisture diffusivity was found to increase with an increase in the level of pressure up to 500 MPa, and the samples processed at 500 and 700 MPa had higher diffusivity values than blanched samples.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This work shows that high-pressure blanching of pineapple can be an alternative for hot water blanching, before dehydration. The results may find application in development of quality snack food from pineapple fruits.