The influence of the combined microwave power and hot air ventilation on the drying kinetics and colour quality of tomato slices

Tomato is one of the most important fruit used as an ingredient in different foods in food processing and preparation. Fresh tomato consists of about 91% of moisture. Tomato has to pass through all three rates of drying (constant, first and second falling rate period) during drying, using hot air ventilation, and requires prolonged time with much of quality changes. In this study, microwave assisted hot air ventilation drying of tomato slices had been considered. Microwave oven working at 2450 MHz, using different power densities (1, 2 and 3 W g-1) was combined with hot air ventilation at 50°C and hot air ventilation drying without microwave power at 40, 50, 70 and 80°C to dry tomato slices down to 10% moisture content. The drying characteristic curve was analyzed to determine the drying time. The tomato slice sample dried faster when subjected to microwave heating, coupled with hot air ventilation at 50°C. The drying times required for tomato slices to reach 10% moisture content were found to be 3.2, 2.5 and 1.3 h, using 1, 2 and 3 W g-1 microwave power densities, coupled with 50°C hot air ventilation, respectively. On the other hand, the drying time of tomato slices to 10% moisture content required 20.5, 13.1, 9.6, 6.8 h for drying at 40, 50, 70 and 80°C, using hot air ventilation without supplementing heating with microwave power. Microwave drying maintained the superior colour of tomato slices after drying period, compared to the other treatments.Key words: Microwave, tomato slice, drying equation, colour, drying rate, moisture content