OSMOTIC DEHYDRATION OF COCONUT SLICES WITH THE IMPREGNATION OF MINT EXTRACT

摘要

Osmotic dehydration of food materials followed by air-drying technology is an emerging interest because of their excellent quality traits. Coconut slices of thickness0.5+-0.1 mm was osmotic dehydrated in (100, 90 and 80%) sucrose solutions of different concentrations with or without the infusion of mint extract (5,10 and 15%) and the osmotic process was carried out half an hour. Then the slices were dried in a hot air oven at temperature of 50-60 deg C for about 7 to 8 hours. Osmotic medium without the infusion of mint extract serves as the control. The chemical, sensory,color, texture, antioxidant and other parameters which affect the quality and shelf-life of thechips were determined. Moisture, rehydration and chemical studies insist favorable results in storage and shelf life of the product within desirable standard limits. Sensory parameters with highly accepted score of 7.5 of the selected mint infused chips(100 per cent sucrose in 100 per cent of solution containing 10per cent of mint extract) when compared with control revealed significant difference at (p<0.5) level. In fact, the use of mint juice infused osmo-hot air dried coconut chips showed higher total sugars, energy, antioxidant minerals than control, which could be endorsed commercially as a healthy snack food especially for children and the vulnerable group.