Evaluation of process conditions on osmotic dehydration and quality indexes of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) and further polymeric film selection for packaging and refrigerated storage

F. KVAPIL; S.D. RODRÍGUEZ; A.G. QUESTA; R. H. MASCHERONI

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2021 vol. 56 p. 1959 - 1971

0950-5423

We studied the influence of composition and concentration of solutions and product size on mass transferkinetics during Anco pumpkin osmotic dehydration (OD). Once optimal conditions were determined,samples packed in commercial polymeric films were microbiologically analysed during refrigerated storage. The optimal OD time was 3 h, when the efficiency index WL/SG (water loss/solid gain) was stabilised. At this time, 1.0 and 1.5 cm cubes presented the highest index value (about 11) in binary solution(sucrose 55°Bx). WL was higher in 1.0 cm cubes for each dehydrating ternary salt solution tested, and nosignificant differences in firmness were observed with Calcium Lactate addition. Thus, optimal conditionfor OD in ternary solutions was 180 min and 55°Bx – 2% NaCl. Microbiological determinations weredone for dehydrated (55°Bx without/with 2% NaCl) and untreated samples, packaged in different polymeric films. The combination with lowest mesophilic and psychrophilic counts at day 10 was: samplesdehydrated with ternary solution of sucrose-salt packed in Polypropylene film.