Processing and quality characteristics of apple slices processed under simultaneous infrared dry-blanching and dehydration with intermittent heating

This study investigated the effects of three processing parameters, e.g. product surface temperature, slice thickness and processing time, on blanching and dehydration characteristics of apple slices exposed to simultaneous infrared dry-blanching and dehydration (SIRDBD) with intermittent heating. A three-factor factorial experiment design was conducted to determine the influence of processing parameters on product temperature, moisture reduction, drying rate, residual polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities and surface color change. Slice thickness had a significant effect on product quality and processing characteristics, as faster inactivation of enzymes and quicker moisture reduction took place in thinner slices. A Page model performed well for describing drying behavior during the treatment, and first-order kinetics and a biphasic model fit well for PPO and POD inactivation, respectively. Surface color changes (ΔE) of apple slices during prolonged heating resulted from non-enzymatic browning with an increase in b value was observed. In order to achieve a 1 log reduction in POD activity, the process resulted in a reduction in moisture from 20% to 59% and in ΔE from 2.27 to 5.59. It is suggested that SIRDBD with intermittent heating could be used as an alternative to manufacture high quality blanched and partially dehydrated fruits and vegetables.