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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Healthy Processed Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #177712
Title: PROCESSING AND QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF PEARS PROCESSED BY A NEW INFRARED DRY BLANCHING/DEHYDRATION METHOD

Author
item Pan, Zhongli
item Olson, Donald
item AMERATANGA, K.S.P. - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA
item Olsen, Carl
item McHugh, Tara

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/4/2004
Publication Date: 7/16/2005
Citation: Pan, Z., Olson, D.A., Ameratanga, K., Olsen, C.W., Mc Hugh, T.H. 2005. Processing and quality characteristics of pears processed by a new infrared dry blanching/dehydration method. Meeting Abstract No. 84-7. IFT Annual Meeting. July 2005. New Orleans, LA.

Interpretive Summary: Food industry has been seeking cost-effective alternative blanching and dehydration methods for producing high quality blanched and dehydrated fruit and vegetable products. Based on principles of energy penetration and selective heating of infrared energy, a new infrared dry blanching (IDB) and dehydration process was developed and used for blanching and dehydration of pears by the researchers.

Technical Abstract: The food industry has been seeking cost-effective alternative blanching and dehydration methods for producing high quality blanched and dehydrated fruit and vegetable products. Based on principles of energy penetration and selective heating of infrared energy, a new infrared dry blanching (IDB) and dehydration process was developed and used for blanching and dehydration of pears by the researchers. The objectives of this study were to study the technical feasibility of the IDB and dehydration process and quality characteristics of pears produced with the new process. A flameless catalytic gas-fired (FCG) infrared blancher/dryer was used to perform the blanching and dehydration functions in one processing step. The effects of infrared radiation energy intensity, retention time, the distance between infrared emitter and product on heating rate, enzyme inactivation, dehydration rate, product quality characteristics, such as color change, shrinkage, rehydration ratio and texture, were studied. Steam blanched and hot air dehydrated dehydrofrozen pears were processed and used as control. The results showed that appropriate blanching and dehydration of pears were achieved by using the IDB and dehydration method. The rates of enzyme inactivation and dehydration increased with the increase of heating rate, which was closely related to the radiation energy intensity and distance between the emitter and product. For example, the peroxidase inactivation of half-inch cubic pears was achieved at 4 and 14 min with the distances of 5.5 and 10.5 in, respectively. The weight reduction of pear cubes was 30% after 14 min blanching/dehydration when the distance was 10.5 in. The new IDB and dehydration method has proven to be a feasible alternative method for fruit and vegetable processing with simplified procedures and high quality products.