Assessment of Microwave Drying Conditions Effect on Pineapple Color Quality and Stability via Multivariate Data Analysis

Abstract

Fruit-based snacks produced via drying methods have gained commercial relevance in the global food industry. Different drying technique distinctly influences food quality attributes. Color is one of the most fundamental quality parameters of a food, and undesirable color changes in dried foods can lead to reduced marketability and final quality. This study was investigated that the effects of microwave power level (200 and 600 W) (MD) and slice thickness (3 and 5 mm) on color retention in pineapples. Colorimetric parameters (L*a*b*Ch), Browning Index (BI), Whiteness Index (WI), and total color difference (ΔE) were evaluated. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) analyses were conducted using color models. The findings demonstrated that MD power intensity and pineapple slice thickness had a pronounced effect on color properties. Increased MD power intensity and slice thickness resulted in significant reductions in L*, b*, C, and WI values, while a*, ΔE, and BI values exhibited marked increases, indicating intensified pigment degradation and non-enzymatic browning reactions. The most favorable visual quality was achieved at 200 W combined with 3 mm slice thickness, minimizing thermal damage and preserving yellow hues. PCA, explained for 97% of the total variance and effectively differentiated the samples according to drying conditions. Furthermore, the SIMCA analysis revealed that pineapple slices obtained through different drying methods could be classified based on their color data with 85% accuracy. The study demonstrates that maintaining the chromatic integrity and visual quality of microwave-dried pineapples requires careful optimization of both power density and slice dimensions.

Keywords

• Color models
• Functional foods
• Pineapple chips
• Pineapple snacks
• Slice thickness

Mikrodalga Kurutma Koşullarının Ananasın Renk Kalitesi ve Stabilitesi Üzerine Etkisinin Çok Değişkenli Veri Analizleri ile Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Farklı kurutma yöntemleriyle üretilen meyve bazlı atıştırmalıklar, küresel gıda endüstrisinde ticari önem kazanmıştır. Uygulanan kurutma teknikleri, ürünün kalite parametrelerini belirgin şekilde etkilemektedir. Renk, gıdanın en temel kalite göstergelerinden biridir ve kurutma sürecine bağlı olarak meydana gelen istenmeyen renk değişimleri, ürünün pazarlanabilirliğini ve nihai kalitesini azaltabilir. Bu çalışmada, mikrodalga gücü (200 ve 600 W) ile dilim kalınlığının (3 ve 5 mm), ananas dilimlerinin renk stabilitesi üzerindeki etkileri araştırılmıştır. L*, a*, b*, C*, h, Beyazlık İndeksi (WI), Karamelizasyon İndeksi (BI) ve renk farkı (ΔE) gibi kolorimetrik parametreler değerlendirilmiştir. Ayrıca renk verilerine dayalı olarak Temel Bileşenler Analizi (PCA) ve Sınıf Benzetimi için Bağımsız Modelleme (SIMCA) analizleri uygulanmıştır. Bulgular, mikrodalga gücü ve dilim kalınlığının renk özelliklerini önemli ölçüde etkilediğini göstermiştir. Güç yoğunluğu ve kalınlık arttıkça L*, b*, C* ve WI değerleri azalmış; a*, ΔE ve BI değerlerinde ise artış gözlenmiş, bu durum pigment bozulmaları ve enzimatik olmayan kararma reaksiyonlarının arttığını göstermiştir. En iyi görsel kalite, 200 W ve 3 mm dilim kalınlığında elde edilmiştir. PCA, toplam varyansın %97’sini açıklamış ve örnekleri kurutma koşullarına göre ayırt etmiştir. SIMCA ise renk verilerine göre örnekleri %85 doğrulukla sınıflandırmıştır. Elde edilen veriler, renk bütünlüğünün korunması için mikrodalga gücü ve dilim kalınlığının optimize edilmesi gerektiğini ortaya koymuştur.

Keywords

• Renk modelleri
• Fonksiyonel gıdalar
• Ananas cipsleri
• Ananas atıştırmalıkları
• Dilim kalınlığı

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