Production of pineapple fruit ( Ananas comosus ) powder using foam mat drying: Effect of whipping time and egg albumen concentration

Abstract

Foam mat drying is an economical process compared to drum drying, spray drying, and freeze drying for the production of fruit powders. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of foaming agent concentration and whipping time on pineapple powder properties. Pineapple juice was foamed using egg albumen (EA) at different concentrations (5, 10, and 20%, wt/wt) and whipping time (10, 20, and 30 min). Physicochemical properties such as water absorption index, water solubility index, total phenolic content, total soluble solid, pH, color, water activity, moisture content, bulk density, hygroscopicity, and rehydration ratio were evaluated. As the concentration of foaming agent increases at constant whipping time, foam density was reduced and foam expansion was increased. The results indicated that foaming properties and physicochemical properties of powder were significantly affected by the whipping time (p < .05) and EA concentration (p ≤ .05). Practical applications Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit and popularly consumed in the world. However, the shelf life of pineapple is limited. Foam mat drying is an alternative for the preservation of pineapple in the form of dried powder using moderate temperatures. Pineapple powder has found its application in various industries such as food processing and pharmaceuticals. It is widely used as flavoring agent in instant beverages, bakery products, pastes, frozen confectionaries, and as a component in pharmaceutical tablets. It is commonly utilized owing to its ability to provide distinguished properties of pineapple in terms of aroma, color, and flavor as well as water-binding properties to the end product.