Effect of Protein and Polysaccharide-Based Edible Coatings on Quality of Kiwifruit ( Actinidia deliciosa ) During Drying

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the application of three different edible coatings as pretreatment to drying and their influence on mass transfer kinetics, vitamin C retention and color preservation during process. Therefore, part of the slices of kiwifruit was covered with the pectin (with and without glycerol), another part was covered with the soy protein isolate and the rest of the samples were used as control, before the drying process at 60 °C and 70 °C. Vitamin C, color and water content were analyzed before and after the drying. Fick’s model and Page model were fitted to the experimental data obtained in drying process. The results highlighted the potential of using edible coating as an alternative to obtain high-quality dried food, reducing vitamin C losses and the darkening of the product without affecting the mass transfer during hot air drying.