Influence of drying temperature on lucuma (Pouteria lucuma) flour quality Iara Machado Annechini Food Engineering, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the South of Minas Gerais – Campus Inconfidentes, 416 Tiradentes Square, Centre, Inconfidentes - MG, Postal code 37576-000 e-mail: [email protected] Phone number: +55 035999149375 Mariana Borges de Lima Dutra PhD in Food and Nutrition, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the South of Minas Gerais – Campus Inconfidentes, 416 Tiradentes Square, Centre, Inconfidentes - MG, Postal code 37576-000 e-mail: [email protected] Phone number: +55 035998162917 Roberto Salazar Rios Bachiller in Industrias Alimentarias and Título in Industrias Alimentarias, Universidad Nacional de Piura – UNP, Av. Universitaria nº 295, Urb. Miraflores, Castilla – Piura, Postal code 20002 e-mail: [email protected] Phone number: +51 969611910 Vol 29, No 54 (2021), Revista Alimentos Hoy -30 ABSTRACT Nowadays, with the demand for healthier foods, the market opportunities for healthier sweeteners allow lucuma flour entrance, as a good alternative. Lucuma (Pouteria lucuma) is a native fruit from Peru, Ecuador and Chile regions. The objective was to elaborate lucuma flour by convection drying at different temperatures and to evaluate its characteristics of centesimal and microbiological compositions and to compare the results with a product commercial sample (4). The samples were dried in a tray dryer with hot air at 2 m/s speed, at temperatures of 55°C, 65°C, and 75°C (Samples 1, 2 and 3, respectively). The total drying time of Sample 1 was longer than Sample 3, which obtained shorter drying time. The evaluated samples presented difference for moisture, ashes and fibers content. The protein contents of prepared samples did not differ significantly among them. The samples differed from each other for vitamin C content and the higher drying temperature presented higher effect on this compound loss. The samples were within microbiological standards established by legislation. Only Sample 4 satisfied granulometry standards. The centesimal composition final results indicated that temperature is an interfering parameter in lucuma flour nutritional quality, in such a way that the higher temperature used in the process, higher the nutritional loss. Keywords: Moisture, dehydration, exportation, drying curve, centesimal composition. RESUMEN Hoy en día, con la demanda de alimentos más saludables, las oportunidades del mercado de edulcorantes más saludables permiten la entrada de harina de lúcuma, como una buena alternativa. La lúcuma (Pouteria lucuma) es una fruta nativa de las regiones de Perú, Ecuador y Chile. El objetivo fue elaborar harina de lúcuma mediante secado por convección a diferentes temperaturas y evaluar sus características de composición centesimal y microbiológica y comparar los Vol 29, No 54 (2021), Revista Alimentos Hoy -31 resultados con una muestra comercial de producto (4). Las muestras se secaron en un secador de bandeja con aire caliente a una velocidad de 2 m / s, a temperaturas de 55 ° C, 65 ° C y 75 ° C (Muestras 1, 2 y 3, respectivamente). El tiempo de secado total de la Muestra 1 fue mayor que el de la Muestra 3, lo que obtuvo un tiempo de secado más corto. Las muestras evaluadas presentaron diferencia en contenido de humedad, cenizas y fibras. El contenido de proteínas de las muestras preparadas no difirió significativamente entre ellos. Las muestras diferían entre sí por el contenido de vitamina C y la mayor temperatura de secado presentó un mayor efecto sobre esta pérdida de compuesto. Las muestras se encontraban dentro de los estándares microbiológicos establecidos por la legislación. Solo la muestra 4 cumplió con los estándares de granulometría. Los resultados finales de la composición centesimal indicaron que la temperatura es un parámetro interferente en la calidad nutricional de la harina de lúcuma, de tal manera que a mayor temperatura utilizada en el proceso, mayor pérdida nutricional. Palabras-clave: Humedad, deshidratación, exportación, curva de secado, composición centesimal. Vol 29, No 54 (2021), Revista Alimentos Hoy -32 I. INTRODUCTION from Peru, Ecuador and Chile regions, being the first one with the The choice of processing for highest production worldwide. It is any food raw material should take one of the fruits with the highest use into account techniques that provide in Peru, mainly for production of maximum sensory and nutritional desserts, cakes, ice creams, among characteristics of fresh product, in others. Currently, its pleasant aroma addition to considering operational and exotic flavor are appreciated by cost. Fruits are highly perishable, the most refined international cuisine due to the high water amount most of (Rios 2017). them have in their composition, and Lucuma created interest and in view of this, it should be quickly expectation in investors due to the processed after harvesting (Fonseca growing companies abroad demand, y Nogueira 1984). which dedicate to exotic and natural The fruit pulp processing adds products marketing. With the economic value, reduces waste and increase in demand for lucuma losses, that can occur in fruit in abroad, it is necessary to invest in natura marketing, and enables a new technologies that can add alternative for its use (Gadelha and aggregated value to the product. It is others 2009). Fruits can be also important that these applied dehydrated and ground for flour technologies maintain sensory production. Producing new kinds of characteristics and nutritional quality flours generates new opportunities of product for longer, thus meeting for food industry and it can be used international trade requirements as ingredient in various products (Rios 2017). manufacture, particularly bakery Lucuma (Pouteria lucuma or products, confectionery, ice creams, Lucuma obovata) is a fruit that grows dietetic and infant foods (Indecopi on the same name tree, from 2015). Sapotaceae family, native to the Lucuma (Pouteria lucuma or inter-Andean valleys of Peru, Lucuma obovata) is a native fruit Ecuador and Chile, being the first Vol 29, No 54 (2021), Revista Alimentos Hoy -33 one that the most contributes for should present solubility level around world production, with 88% market 60%. Flour is elaborated from pulp share (Montes y Cribillero 2014). coming from rigorously selected Lucuma is an excellent natural lucumas, in its ideal ripeness point energy source, contains high and excellent sanity degree (Aguilar amounts of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin 2015). B3 (niacin), iron, phosphorus, The objective of this work was phenols and carotenoids, besides to elaborate lucuma flour using fresh presenting low lipids content. Vitamin fruit by convection drying method B3 content (1.96 mg/100 g) promotes (hot air), using three different a good nervous system performance temperatures (55, 65 and 75 °C - and it is useful in protein metabolism Samples 1, 2 and 3, respectively), to (Super Foods Peru 2018). According analyze the drying curves behavior, to Ministério da Agricultura do Peru - and to evaluate its physical-chemical Minagri (2015), lucuma has high characteristics comparing with a vitamin C content (0.14-1.07 mg/100 commercial sample (Sample 4). g of dry matter). Lucuma flour is defined as the powder resulting of pulp dehydration until less than 10% moisture (ideal between 7.5 and 8.5%) and finely ground (less than 0.15 mm particle size). The final product is a powder with yellow or orange color, medium to low intensity, sweet taste and pleasant fruit characteristic aroma (Mágala 2006). The product has the following characteristics: yellow to pale-orange color, fine powder appearance, aroma and flavor sweet, soft and characteristic of the fruit. It Vol 29, No 54 (2021), Revista Alimentos Hoy -34 II. MATERIAL AND Fresh lucuma pulp was METHODS dehydrated at three different temperatures, 55, 65 and 75 ºC, It was used fresh lucuma of individually. The total pulp content variety Palo, obtained at the was weighed every 30 minutes and a Municipal Market in Piura city (Peru), small sample for moisture control selected according to its ripeness was taken every 1 hour. The final and sanity stage. The lucumas intended moisture content was presented ideal ripeness stage to be between 4 and 7.5%. processed. The convection drying For drying curves was performed in tray dryer with hot construction, as soon as the fruit air at 2m/s speed, in the laboratory of dehydration in the tray dryer started, Faculty of Zootechnics, National every 30 minutes the cellophane University of Piura, Peru. plastic containing the sample was Three experiments were removed to weigh it on scale, performed, with three different drying discounting the plastic weight and temperatures: 55 °C (Sample 1), 65 taking note, in order to verify the °C (Sample 2) and 75 °C (Sample 3). amount of weight in moisture it was The fruits were selected, lost by the pulp, taking note of data cleaned in running water and treated for drying curves graphics. with citric acid solution (1g/L) and The analyses of moisture, then peeled and cut, having their total ash, proteins, ethereal stratum seeds removed. Lucuma was placed (lipids), crude fiber, total in the dryer trays (brand carbohydrates and energetic value EXSICCATORTM), spread over two were carried out at Soils Laboratory layers of bioriented polypropylene of Federal Institute of Education, (celofane plastic), in uniform manner Science and Technology of the and fine thickness (approximately