Optimization of osmotic dehydration of tomatoes in a ternary system followed by air-drying

• Published in: Journal of food engineering 2007-12, Vol.83 (4), p.501-509
• Main Authors: Souza, Josilma S., Medeiros, Maria F.D., Magalhães, Margarida M.A., Rodrigues, Sueli, Fernandes, Fabiano A.N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air drying; aqueous solutions; Biological and medical sciences; Dehydration; diffusivity; Drying; drying quality; dynamic programming; Food engineering; Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; heat transfer; Lycopersicum esculentum; mass flow; mass transfer; Mathematical models; Optimization; Osmotic dehydration; osmotic treatment; salt concentration; salts; shrinkage; sodium chloride; Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum; solutes; Sucrose; sugar content; sugars; Ternary system; Tomato; Tomatoes; water
• ISSN: 0260-8774; 1873-5770
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2007.03.038

Osmotic dehydration and air drying technology represent a technique that can reduce post-harvest loss of fruits and vegetables. In this work the influence of osmotic solution composition (water/sugar/salt) and temperature on the osmotic dehydration of tomatoes ( Lycopersicum esculentum) were examined. Tomatoes with and without skin were studied. The process of osmotic dehydration followed by air-drying was studied and modeled, so it could be optimized aiming the reduction of total processing time. The results showed the advantage of two different processes for the tomatoes with skin and without skin. Tomatoes without skin are processed faster using air-drying without submitting the fruit to osmotic dehydration. Whereas, the tomatoes with skin dry faster when submitted to an osmotic solution consisting of 35% of sucrose and 5% of salt at 60 °C prior to air-drying.