Desidratação osmótica e secagem de abacaxi com incorporação de hortelã.

Abstract

Obtaining new products from fresh fruits with lower perishability and value that have great growth potential but are still not widely used commercially in Brazil, making needed studies to enable and distribute this application. It is intended with this research, to obtain a product prepared with pineapple mint using combined techniques of osmotic dehydration and drying. For both, samples pineapples (Ananas comosus (L.) Merril) were dehydrated in different sucrose solutions (40, 55 and 65 °Brix) at 40 °C with the incorporation of mint extract and then dried in a conventional dryer (at temperatures of 50, 60 and 70 °C ) until its water content reached 18 % w.b. and mathematical models Midilli, Page, Henderson & Pabis, Thompson, Verna and Cavalcanti Mata were fitted to experimental data. After the process of dewatering and drying; 9 samples were evaluated for generated texture (using a texturometer), microbiologically (quantifying parameters and thermotolerant coliforms, yeasts and molds) and finally for sensory through the use of the acceptance tests, which were evaluated for appearance attributes, color, aroma and flavor, and subsequently for the purchase intent test. In this research we can conclude that: The water loss, and solid gain of the samples were higher in the early hours and are directly proportional to the solids content of the desiccant solution. All mathematical models adequately fitted the experimental data, especially the Cavalcanti Mata, Page and Midilli model, in all cases with increasing temperature there is a reduction in the drying time. Regarding the texture of the samples: using the parameter, of firmness with the higher soluble solids content of the desiccant solution and greater drying temperatures of the samples which increased the force required to compress the sample for the higher adhesiveness parameter and solid concentrations of the solution with the lower drying temperature, the higher the adhesiveness of the sample. For the attribute of fiber breakage it was observed that the higher the content of soluble solids of the desiccant solution and the higher the drying temperature; the greater the value of force was required to break the fibers of the sample. The samples meet the quality control standards set by the brazilian food legislation in regards to fecal coliforms and total coliforms with increasing drying temperatures of yeast and mold counts being reduced with higher drying temperatures showed an absence of these microorganisms; microbiological analysis indicated that the raisins and pineapples were processed in adequate sanitary conditions. The product that was dried at 65 °Brix and 60 °C was the highest rated in all sensory attributes categories as well as in the purchase intent concept to receiving the top five most often bought scale, which shows a great acceptance if this new product is inserted in the consumer market. The samples that were rejected by most evaluators were those that had little addition of sucrose in the dehydrating solution.