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EMERGENT LIFE SCIENCES RESEARCH - Vol 8, Issue 2, Published on 31, December 2022

Pages: 214-221
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Refractance window drying: Influence of drying parameters on drying characteristics and quality attributes of orange pestil

Author: Chitra Sonkar, Genitha Immanuel

Category: Research Article

Abstract:

This study was focused on investigating drying traits and quality retention of orange pulp using Refractance Window Drying (RWD) method. The effect of RWD temperature (70, 80 and 90 °C) and orange pulp thickness (2mm and 3mm) on drying time, drying rate, moisture content, ascorbic acid and colour (L*, a*, b* and b*/a*) were studied. The moisture content of 15-25 % (wb) for intermediate moisture food like orange pestil was achieved within 50 minutes of drying. The moisture content of the final product was 18.5% (wb). The fastest and slowest drying rate was observed for the sample dried at 2mm thickness and 90°C (5.74 g/min) and the sample dried at 3mm thickness and 90°C (1.00g/min) respectively. The lowest ascorbic acid (57.15 mg/100g) was recorded for the sample dried at 2mm thickness and 70°C temperature and the highest ascorbic acid (62.05 mg/100g) was for the sample dried at 3mm thickness and 90°C temperature. The effect of pulp thickness (2mm and 3mm) and drying temperature had a considerable influence on the colour factors of orange pestil. The sample dried at 2mm thickness and 90°C has the least L* value of 57 and the samples appear brown or dark red dark in colour and sample dried at 3mm thickness and 90°C had a maximum L* value i.e., 62.96 with the bright yellow sample. Increased value of a* of orange pestil/sheet as compared to the a* value of orange pulp i.e., for orange sheet sample dried at 3mm and 90°C a* value was 10.69 showcasing an elevation in the level of redness of dried sample in comparison to the orange colour of orange puree. The b* value of dried orange pestil/sheet decreased maximum for sample dried at 3mm and 90°C i.e., 32.28. The findings revealed that RW drying is a suitable drying process that can be effectively used for the formulation of quality orange pestil preserving its nutritional as well as sensory attributes.

Keywords: ascorbic acid, drying rate, drying time, refractance, sweet orange, window drying

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.31783/elsr.2022.82214221