Effect of simultaneous infrared dry-blanching and dehydration on quality characteristics of carrot slices

•Infrared dry-blanching and dehydration process was investigated for carrot slice.•Product quality relied on infrared heating rate and processing characteristics.•A Middili model performed well for describing drying performance of carrots.•A biphasic model fitted well for describing the POD inactivation during the process.•A quantic model fitted well for describing the surface color change of carrots.

This study investigated the effects of various processing parameters on carrot slices exposed to infrared (IR) radiation heating for achieving simultaneous infrared dry-blanching and dehydration (SIRDBD). The investigated parameters were product surface temperature, slice thickness and processing time. A three-factor factorial design was conducted to determine the influence of processing parameters on moisture reduction, drying rate, residual peroxidase (POD) activities, surface color change and vitamin C retention. High surface temperature and/or thin slices had faster inactivation of enzymes and quicker moisture removal compared to the low surface temperature and/or thick slices. A Middili model performed well for describing drying behavior during the treatment, while a biphasic model and a quantic model fit well for describing the POD inactivation and the surface color change during the process, respectively. The process which produced 1 log reduction in POD activity has resulted in moisture reduction from 40.2 to 88.8 g/100 g, overall color change (ΔE) from 3.17 to 5.13 and retention of vitamin C from 56.92 to 77.34 g/100 g compared to control. It was concluded that SIRDBD could be used as an alternative to produce high quality blanched and partially dehydrated fruits and vegetables.