Effect of dehydration methods on quality characteristics and storage stability of tomato powder

The tomato is the third most commonly consumed vegetable in the world and a key component of many world cuisines. The tomato is widely grown for its fresh market and processed market.dehydrated tomato powder Tomato products have many uses in the food industry, including sauces, soups, dressings, and other ingredients. Although there are many varieties of tomato, the red tomato has been used extensively in culinary preparations and processed food products because of its pleasant flavor and desirable color. However, the quality of a tomato can be affected by factors such as and dehydration methods. The effects of these treatments on the quality characteristics of tomato powder (pH, color, hardness, water activity, and total soluble solids) and storage stability were also studied.

To meet the increasing demands of consumers, especially consumers in developing countries, fresh vegetables are increasingly being processed into products, such as tomato powder, that can be stored and transported easily and at a reasonable cost. Tomato powder, which is a concentrated form of the fruit, is usually obtained through dehydration and drying processes. The process affects the quality characteristics and the shelf life of the tomato powder. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of different dehydration methods and pre-treatment on the quality characteristics and storage stability of tomato powder.

The quality of tomato powder is affected by many factors, one of which is the drying process. A lot of research has been done on the effects of different drying methods on the quality of tomato powder. It has been found that the drying methods of freeze drying, vacuum drying, and solar drying have different effects on the physical and chemical properties of tomato powder. For example, freeze drying leads to a more compact and spherical shape, while vacuum drying and solar drying lead to a more porous texture. The quality of tomato powder is also influenced by the moisture content and pH of the tomato. The higher the pH of the tomato, the easier it is to separate the juice from the pulp. In this study, the drying process was found to have a significant effect on the physicochemical properties of tomato powder.

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of different dehydration methods and pre-treatment on the quality characteristics and storage stability of tomato powder. Four dehydration methods were used for tomato powder: freeze-drying (FD), vacuum-drying (VD), hot air-drying (HD), and sun-drying (SD). The pre-treatments studied were citric acid, sodium chloride, and lemon juice. These treatments were added to the raw material before the dehydration process.

 Dehydration is the process of removing water from a material. It is a very important step in the production of many foods, such as dried fruits, vegetables and some processed foods. Dehydrating is usually done by using a combination of heat and air or, mostly, by using heat alone. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of three different dehydration methods (air drying, freeze drying and oven drying) on the quality characteristics and storage stability of tomato powder. The result showed that the tomato powder produced by all three dehydration methods had good color and free sugar content. However, there were significant differences in the total soluble solids, acidity and moisture content of the tomato powders produced by these three dehydration methods. Air-dried tomato powder had the highest moisture content (2.5%), whereas the moisture content of the tomato powder produced by oven drying was the lowest (3.4%). This result indicates that the tomato powder dried by oven drying had the highest storage stability during a 3-month period at 25°C. Also, tomato powder dried by oven drying retained its color for a longer duration than that dried by other two dehydration methods. It could be concluded that, for the production of high-quality tomato powder, tomato should be thoroughly dehydrated before it is ground into powder. 

In this study, the effect of different drying methods (conventional oven drying, freeze drying, and sun drying) on the quality characteristics of tomato powder was evaluated. The sun-dried sample showed the best color, followed by the freeze-dried and the conventionally oven-dried ones. The samples dried in the sun had the highest total phenolic content. The samples dried in the sun had the highest antioxidant activity. The lowest moisture content and the highest bulk density were observed in the freeze-dried sample. Overall, the sun-dried and the conventionally oven-dried samples had better physical and chemical properties than the freeze-dried one. However, the sun-drying method is the most energy- and time-consuming method. Therefore, it is not feasible for large-scale production. Conventionally oven drying is the simplest and the most efficient alternative for tomato powder production.