Investigate alternative processes for fruit, vegetables.USDA-ARS USDA-ARS United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service scientists are working to develop new processing technologies that could improve the quality and safety of processed fruits and vegetables while at the same time reducing their production costs. The ultimate goal of this effort is to create alternative technologies that produce blanched blanch also blench v. blanched also blenched, blanch·ing also blench·ing, blanch·es also blench·es v.tr. 1. To take the color from; bleach. 2. , dehydrated de·hy·drate v. de·hy·drat·ed, de·hy·drat·ing, de·hy·drates v.tr. 1. To remove water from; make anhydrous. 2. To preserve by removing water from (vegetables, for example). , partially-dehydrated or infused or coated fruits and vegetables, as well as restructured fruits and vegetable products. Investigators would like to achieve their objective by using a combination of infrared dry-blanching (IDB (ITS Data Bus) An interface between devices in an automobile endorsed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Designed to fulfill the goal of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), the ITS Data Bus enables engine diagnostic equipment, GPS navigation systems, ), freezing, freeze-drying, air-drying, dipping or infusion coating or related technologies. The new technologies would be used to make processed products that have a better texture and nutritional quality. The processes would lower production costs and reduce microbial microbial pertaining to or emanating from a microbe. microbial digestion the breakdown of organic material, especially feedstuffs, by microbial organisms. loads compared to current technologies. The end result: novel cereals, snacks and other applications. Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetable whole products and purees are being used for this research. The sliced or restructured fruits and vegetables may be dipped in antioxidant solutions to prevent discoloration before any thermal processing steps are undertaken. Researchers will test and evaluate how infusing or coating flavors, humectants, nutrients and phytochemicals at various processing stages will affect product quality and processing characteristics. Specifically, the infusion or coating media to be studied will include fruit puree, calcium, sugars, sugar polyols and high fructose fructose (frŭk`tōs), levulose (lĕv`yəlōs'), or fruit sugar, simple sugar found in honey and in the fruit and other parts of plants. corn syrup. Scientists will determine the influence of blanching and dehydration on product quality and processing characteristics by using IDB and heated air prior to freezing or freeze drying product. When evaluating product quality, scientists will examine texture and sensory characteristics, such as density and crunchiness, appearance, color, flavor, the hydration hydration /hy·dra·tion/ (hi-dra´shun) the absorption of or combination with water. hy·dra·tion n. 1. The addition of water to a chemical molecule without hydrolysis. 2. rate in skim and full-fat milks, water activities, enzyme inactivation inactivation /in·ac·ti·va·tion/ (in-ak?ti-va´shun) the destruction of biological activity, as of a virus, by the action of heat or other agent. and microbial safety. The processing and energy efficiencies will be determined for various production regimes. The effects of design parameters on product quality and energy efficiency will also be studied. The research is scheduled to run through February 2008. Further information. Tara Mchugh, Processed Foods Research, USDA-ARS Western Regional Research Center, 800 Buchanan St., Albany, CA 94710; phone: 510-559-5864; fax: 510-559-5851; email: thm@pw.usda.gov. |
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