Optimization of Osmotic Dehydration of Plantain Using Low-calorie Sweetener

Plantain is a major staple food to more than 14 million people in sub-Sahara Africa. It is principally consumed in the boiled, fried, roasted and pounded paste (fufu) forms. The processing into flour has increased in recent years, though the agro-industrial development of its processing is embryonic. Osmotic dehydration (OD) is an important pretreatment in the flour production process because it enhances the nutritional and sensory quality of the flour. However, osmotic pretreatment of plantain usually uses sucrose as osmotic agent which might contribute to raise the glycemic index of the food hence prevalence of diseases like diabetes. Thus, this study was aimed at optimizing the osmotic dehydration process of unripe plantain fruits (´False Horn´ cultivar) using the commonly consumed low-calorie sweetener; Sussli. The effect of four independent variables; temperature of solution (X1), solution concentration (X2), plantain slice thickness (X3) and contact time (X4) on moisture loss (WL), solids gain (SG), weight reduction (WR), and potassium loss (PL) was evaluated. A sample to solution ratio of 1:20 was used. The Face Centered Central Composite Design (FCCD) experimental design was used. Response Surface methodology (RSM) was also used to determine the optimum condition. The results showed that the optimal conditions of osmotic dehydration for plantain were temperature (30°C), concentration (50 %), slice thickness (8.6 mm) and contact time (60 min) with optimal responses as 19.25 %, 3.21 %, 15.63 % and 1.11 mg/100g for WL, SG, WR and PL, respectively. In this light, the results of the current study can be used in osmotic dehydration process of plantain using the low-calorie sweetener, Sussli.