Evaluation of process conditions on osmotic dehydration and quality indexes of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) and further polymeric film selection for packaging and refrigerated storage

Abstract

We studied the influence of composition and concentration of solutions and product size on mass transfer kinetics during Anco pumpkin osmotic dehydration (OD). Once optimal conditions were determined, samples packed in commercial polymeric films were microbiologically analysed during refrigerated storage. The optimal OD time was 3 h, when the efficiency index WL/SG (water loss/solid gain) was stabilised. At this time, 1.0 and 1.5 cm cubes presented the highest index value (about 11) in binary solution (sucrose 55°Bx). WL was higher in 1.0 cm cubes for each dehydrating ternary salt solution tested, and no significant differences in firmness were observed with Calcium Lactate addition. Thus, optimal condition for OD in ternary solutions was 180 min and 55°Bx – 2% NaCl. Microbiological determinations were done for dehydrated (55°Bx without/with 2% NaCl) and untreated samples, packaged in different polymeric films. The combination with lowest mesophilic and psychrophilic counts at day 10 was: samples dehydrated with ternary solution of sucrose-salt packed in Polypropylene film.