Influence of drying methods on preservation of biologically active substances of garden strawberries being raw material for food enrichment

Abstract

At present, the preservation of the consumer properties of berry products is an urgent problem. Use of fresh garden strawberries is limited by a short storage period and seasonality. Under optimal storage conditions in a normal atmosphere, the average shelf life of strawberries is from 2 to 9 days depending on the variety. To meet the needs of the population in garden strawberries and meet the physiological needs in a unique complex of biologically active substances, strawberries are subjected to different processing methods. Drying being a type of fruit and berry products processing has the following advantages: a significant increase in the shelf life of products, a decrease in the mass and storage volumes of dried berries, preservation of minerals, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, antioxidants, bioflavonoids and many biologically active compounds in berries. Modern drying technologies allow preserving the content of essential vitamins to its full extent. Comparison of two technologies for drying garden strawberries has established that vitamins and other biologically active substances are well preserved in berries. Berries dried by convective vacuum-impulse method (CVI) are recommended to be used for food enrichment.