Abstract
The society demand for foods with better nutritional and sensorial properties is increasing, as well as for processes that reach these objectives with lower cost and environmental impact. In fact, new challenges can only be overcome using new approaches, guiding the present project. Although the drying process is one of the oldest methods to produce stable and safe food, there are still several limitations related to the quality of dried and rehydrated products, as well as to the time and process conditions. Moreover, the relatively short shelf life of some vegetables, such as tropical and native fruits and starchy products, limits their commercialization and potential producers, considering the risk of economic losses. Consequently, the development of preservation methods for such products is essential for their commercial viability, with drying being a potential method for stabilization and enhancement of value added. Consequently, the present project aims to study alternatives to improve the drying process of food, as well as the quality and properties of the obtained products. As a focus of the project, some emerging technologies will be studied, such as ultrasound, drying accelerators and infrared radiation, which will be used alone or in combination. Ultrasound technology will be used as a pre-treatment to convective drying, or even assisting this process. Different drying accelerators will be evaluated, such as ethanol, iso-propanol, acetic acid and acetone, in order to understand the involved mechanisms. Infrared radiation will be used alone to promote drying or assisting the convective drying. Different vegetables will be evaluated, such as fruits, roots and tubers, representing different microstructures and objectives (production of dried products for direct consumption, for rehydration or extraction of compounds). The kinetics of drying and rehydration will be studied, as well as the quality of the dried and rehydrated product, through evaluations of shape, density and volume (shrinkage), structure (macro and micro), viscoelastic properties, texture, colour and appearance, as well as the content of nutritional quality markers and the properties of compounds of interest. The evaluations will emphasize the mechanisms of mass transfer and impact in the structure of the material, focusing on the improvement of the process and the quality of the obtained products. It is expected to describe the possible benefits of using emerging technologies to improve the food drying process, with synergistic interaction among the evaluated technologies, as well as to discuss the involved mechanisms. (AU)
Scientific publications
(11)
(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)
LIMA, DAMARIS CARVALHO;
MANIGLIA, BIANCA CHIEREGATO;
MATTA, JR., MANOEL DIVINO;
LE-BAIL, PATRICIA;
LE-BAIL, ALAIN;
DUARTE AUGUSTO, PEDRO ESTEVES.
Dual-process of starch modification: Combining ozone and dry heating treatments to modify cassava starch structure and functionality.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules,
v. 167,
p. 894-905,
JAN 15 2021.
Web of Science Citations: 0.
SANTOS, KAROLINE COSTA;
GUEDES, JAQUELINE SOUZA;
LINDSAY ROJAS, MELIZA;
CARVALHO, GISANDRO REIS;
DUARTE AUGUSTO, PEDRO ESTEVES.
Enhancing carrot convective drying by combining ethanol and ultrasound as pre-treatments: Effect on product structure, quality, energy consumption, drying and rehydration kinetics.
ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY,
v. 70,
JAN 2021.
Web of Science Citations: 0.
CARVALHO, GISANDRO REIS;
ROJAS, MELIZA LINDSAY;
SILVEIRA, ISABELA;
AUGUSTO, PEDRO ESTEVES DUARTE.
Drying Accelerators to Enhance Processing and Properties: Ethanol, Isopropanol, Acetone and Acetic Acid as Pre-treatments to Convective Drying of Pumpkin.
Food and Bioprocess Technology,
v. 13,
n. 11,
p. 1984-1996,
NOV 2020.
Web of Science Citations: 0.
LIMA, DAMARIS CARVALHO;
CASTANHA, NANCI;
MANIGLIA, BIANCA CHIEREGATO;
MATTA JUNIOR, MANOEL DIVINO;
LA FUENTE, CARLA IVONNE ARIAS;
AUGUSTO, PEDRO ESTEVES DUARTE.
Ozone Processing of Cassava Starch.
OZONE-SCIENCE & ENGINEERING,
v. 43,
n. 1
MAY 2020.
Web of Science Citations: 4.