Sapodilla puree was naturally viscous and was liquefied with enzymes (Pectinex Ultra SP-L and Celluclast 1.5L) acting individually or in combinations at varying concentrations (0.5–2.5% v/w), times (0.5–2.5 h) and temperatures (35–55C) prior to the drying process. Treatment with enzymes in combinations showed greater effect in reducing viscosity (90.0–96.1%) as compared to single enzyme treatment (22.1–59.1%). Best condition chosen was 0.5% (v/w) from each Pectinex Ultra SP-L and Celluclast 1.5 L at 40C for 1.5 h, which required minimal processing cost. During spray drying, liquefied puree was added with different maltodextrin (DE of 10–12) concentrations (10–50% w/v) at varying inlet temperatures (140–220C). The results indicated that the powder being spray-dried at 180C with 30% (w/v) added maltodextrin had high product yield (57.42%) with acceptable qualities in terms of moisture content, hygroscopicity, bulk density, solubility and water activity. The produced sapodilla powder could potentially be incorporated in various food products to diversify in the market.
Practical Applications
The intake of fruits is highly beneficial to health. However, most fruits have short shelf life because of their high sugar and water contents. As a result, many fruits are wasted without proper processing. Therefore, a solution is sought to solve this problem. The preservation method through spray drying is highly recommended due to the quick and large throughput moisture evaporation. It is economically cheap, flexible and the equipment used is readily available. Moreover, it is best in preserving heat-sensitive products. The fruit powder produced presents great potential as a source of functional food additive such as flavoring and coloring agents in various food products, thus providing a wide variety of interesting experience for consumers. However, it is not easy to spray-dry the fruit into powder because of the stickiness problem. Most samples tend to stick to the wall of the drying chamber, thus ending up having a low product yield. This study strives to provide detailed knowledge on solving the wall deposition problem through the use of enzyme liquefaction method. It also presents details about the quality of powder produced at different drying conditions.
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