Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the sensory quality and acceptance of dried ready-to-eat beetroot snacks as a result of different drying methods applied: supercritical CO2-drying (scCO2-drying), frying, and freeze-drying. Descriptive sensory analysis, quality rating (10 assessors), and consumer acceptance testing (n = 102) were performed. Mean overall quality scores within the range of “very good” quality were found only in non-precooked scCO2-dried samples which were characterized by typical magenta color, low level of shape and surface deformations, pronounced brittleness and crispiness, and good rehydration during mastication. The other samples were in the range of “good” quality. The pre-cooking step before scCO2-drying negatively influenced the sensory quality parameters, particularly appearance. Around 60% of tested consumers showed a preference for the fried and non-precooked scCO2-dried samples. The drivers of liking were mostly related to the characteristics of the product, which was salted, fried, and crispy, with an oily and overburnt flavor, i.e., the product most similar to commercial potato chips products. Freeze-drying had a negative effect primarily on appearance and flavor. According to the sensory evaluation conducted, direct scCO2-drying without a pre-cooking step showed itself as a promising alternative drying technology in the production of dried beetroot snacks.
Highlights
Drying of biological material is a controlled effort to preserve the structure or create a new one that serves for functional purposes [1]
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the supercritical CO2 drying method, as compared to the freeze-drying and frying techniques, on the sensory quality and acceptance of dried beetroot cuts intended to be eaten as ready-to-eat snacks
Upon principal component analysis (PCA) of the consensus data matrix, 18 original variables fit into the new four-dimensional PC space
Summary
Drying of biological material is a controlled effort to preserve the structure or create a new one that serves for functional purposes [1]. To achieve dehydrated fruit or vegetable commodities of high quality at a reasonable cost, in the sense of minimizing the loss of volatiles, loss of flavors, changes in texture, Foods 2020, 9, 1201; doi:10.3390/foods9091201 www.mdpi.com/journal/foods. Certain air-dried commodities such as grains and legumes show desirable textural characteristics after cooking due to high rehydration capability, but the structure of most fruits and vegetables is usually negatively affected during air-drying resulting in poor reconstitution properties when compared to their fresh state [1]. A decrease in the sensory quality [5] influenced by application of higher temperatures during air-drying (typically 65–85 ◦ C) is most often reflected in the small volume, great shrinkage, high density, low porosity, and increased hardness of the dried product [4,11]. These compounds are very sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen, and air-drying triggers the oxidation of betalains in beetroot due to prolonged exposure to higher temperatures [12]
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