D. Torreggiani et al., FUNCTIONAL-PROPERTIES OF PEPPER OSMODEHYDRATED IN HYDROLYZED CHEESE WHEY PERMEATE WITH OR WITHOUT SORBITOL, Food research international, 28(2), 1995, pp. 161-166
Osmodehydrofreezing, a combined process where osmotic dehydration is f
ollowed by air-dehydration and freezing, has been proposed to prepare
reduced moisture vegetable ingredients, free from preservatives, with
a natural and agreeable flavor, color and texture, and with functional
properties suitable for different applications. The influence of syru
p composition (hydrolyzed lactose syrup from cheese whey ultrafiltrati
on permeate with or without sorbitol) and air-dehydration level on the
chemical-physical properties of osmodehydrofrozen red pepper cubes wa
s studied. Owing to the intake of galactose and sorbitol, osmo-air-deh
ydrated red pepper cubes showed lower water activities and lower consi
stencies than the air-dehydrated red pepper cubes at the same refracto
metric index. By incorporating sorbitol, a known humectant, into the v
egetable using osmosis, an even softer product can be obtained owing t
o the higher relative water content at a determined a(w), useful as in
gredients at reduced a(w) without rehydration.