Development of equipment and method for the dehydration of fruit and vegetables

• Grant number: 02/12784-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: October 01, 2003
• End date: December 31, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Zoroastro de Miranda Boari
• Grantee: Zoroastro de Miranda Boari
• Company: Fumito Comércio de Máquinas e Equipamentos Ltda. - ME
• City: São Paulo

Abstract

Fruticulture has enormous potential in the Brazilian agribusiness, but its expansion still needs to overcome hurdles such as the deficiency in post-harvest handling, principally to prevent the rotting which occurs during storage and transport. The main objective of this project is the development of a machine for the dehydration of fruit and vegetables aimed at carrying out the monitoring of the principal variables in the process. The prototype will be used to define the cycles of dehydration and the characterization of each type of fruit and vegetable, which will lead to the building of dehydration equipment specific to the different products. There is no known dehydrator manufacturer in Brazil producing equipment which provides the technology capable of processing different types of fruit and vegetables, offering a range of applications for a few kilos (domestic machine), up to a hundred kilos (industrial equipment). The basic working principle of the proposed dehydrator is the withdrawal of water by means of a drying action in which relative temperature and humidity are controlled so as to prevent the deterioration process and minimize damage to the cell structure, preserving the integrity of the product. In the second stage of the project the intention is to develop techniques and equipment for the dehydration of vegetables. (AU)