Influence of Tomato Drying Method on Finished Product Quality Indicators

In the food industry of many countries, tomatoes are considered to be the most common vegetable crop, due to a wide variety of fast-fruiting and productive varieties, with high responsiveness to the used cultivation technologies, as well as valuable nutritional and dietary properties. The article presents the results of studies with tomatoes of early-ripening varieties grown with the use of physiologically active compounds (FAС) and biologically active protection products (BAPP), which make it possible to obtain environmentally friendly raw materials with a high content of biologically active substances (BAS), used for the production of functional food products (FFP) and biologically active additives (BAA). Of the existing numerous ways and methods of tomato processing, canned tomatoes are mainly produced with the production of juice, tomato paste, ketchup, canned and pickled tomatoes. Pomace is also valuable for processing, as a secondary product in the production of juice. One of the methods of tomato processing is drying, using different types of dryers. In this regard, the purpose of the research was to optimize the technological parameters of the production of dried tomatoes and instant powders from juice and pomace used in the production technology of BAA and FFP. Drying of tomatoes, juice and pomace was carried out in a drying cabinet, a dehydrator and a freeze-drying unit, where the effect of tomato drying parameters (temperature, time) on organoleptic parameters was studied; the effect of freeze-drying on the content of vitamins C, P and other biologically active substances during drying of pomace and juice was established. It was found that the losses of BAS are insignificant and amount to no more than 10 %. The high biological value and antioxidant activity of tomato powder have been noted, which makes it possible to use it in the production technology of biologically active additives.