ABSTRACT
Plantains are usually processed after harvesting in order to increase its shelf life. However, the human cost of such processing is enormous and impacts negatively on the economic benefits derivable from plantain production. Therefore, the development of appropriate, low-cost, easy to operate and maintain plantain slicer is long overdue. This paper presents the design, construction and performance evaluation of a highly efficient device that simulates the traditional method of cutting plantain pulp transversely. The machine achieves, respectively, 90.7% and 92.6% efficiency, when used to make a 5 mm cut in moderately ripe and unripe matured plantain pulps. Furthermore, efficiency based on the rate of slices production per time was measured to be 90% and 91%, respectively, for moderately ripe and unripe matured plantain pulps. This design apart from increasing the shelf life of plantains will increase the economic benefits for local plantain processors.
ABSTRACT
This study compared mass transfer during osmotic dehydration (OD) and some quality indices of untreated apple slices to those of apple slices pretreated by either blanching, freezing, or applying high-intensity electric field pulses (HELP) or high pressure (HP). HP, HELP, and blanching increased water loss. Untreated and HELP-treated samples had comparable solids gains, which were lower (P < 0.05) than in the other samples. Apple slices turned brown after pretreatment but the L values of these samples increased with OD. The breaking force of dried samples increased with OD time, and pretreated samples had firmer dried texture than the untreated. Vitamin C content decreased with OD time, but HP- and HELP-treated apples had better retention of vitamin C.
