Microwave Blanching: An Emerging Trend in Food Engineering and its Effects on Capsicum annuum L

摘要

Blanching is the most widely used processing techniques that increases the shelf life of fruits, vegetables and canned food. It softens the fruits and vegetables, aids in peeling and is vital to the canning process. This review elucidates the pros and cons of blanching - both wet and dry - on food products, with a special reference to bell peppers. Agricultural products with high nutritional value and substantial market demand need to be preserved to retain freshness and nutritional qualities till it reaches the processing industry or the consumer. In this review, we described the various attributes of the wet and dry blanching processes with the aim of providing a guide for the reader to design a blanching technique that may maximize the retention of nutrients, micronutrients and volatiles while minimizing the retention of enzymes that cause degradation of fruits and vegetables.