DIFFUSIONAL ANALYSIS AND TEXTURAL PROPERTIES OF COATED STRAWBERRIES DURING OSMOTIC DEHYDRATION TREATMENT

GAMBOA SANTOS J.; VASCO, M. F.; CAMPAÑONE L

Journal of Berry Research

IOS Press

Año: 2020

1878-5093

BACKGROUND: The use of polysaccharide based edible coatings as barriers against the solute entry of high caloric constituents, such as sucrose, is a suitable strategy to develop pro-healthy osmo-dehydrated products.OBJECTIVE: This work aims to study the effect of a calcium alginate film over the drying kinetics of strawberries during an osmotic dehydration (OD) treatment at 60 ºBrix, 4h, 40 ºC (sucrose). Also, textural parameters were evaluated.METHODS: It was determined the changes in some selected physical properties such as one-dimensional shrinkage and texture and the moisture and total solid contents at 30 min steps during OD treatment. RESULTS: Diffusion coefficients for water and solids showed significant differences due to coating presence as an evidence of the barrier effect. Coated strawberry samples presented several changes after 2h of OD treatment at the assayed conditions for most of the parameters evaluated.CONCLUSIONS: Alginate coating at the present formulation acts as a barrier to sucrose influx during the first 2h of OD treatment and to water outflux until 3h of treatment in the tested conditions; besides, a good textural quality for osmotically-dehydrated strawberries was obtained.