The effect of γ-ray irradiation on the drying characteristics and final quality of dried potato slices

Abstract γ irradiation is known to be effective when used to reduce post-harvest losses and control micro-organisms and insects in stored products. It has been commonly used for processing dehydrated vegetables and fruits. However, few studies have been reported on the use of a γ irradiation treatment combined with a drying process. This study focuses on improving current technology as well as introducing a new technology by which bioproducts, dried by hot-air, are pretreated with γ irradiation. Experiments were done to study the influence of irradiation dose air temperature and slice thickness on the dehydration rate and internal temperature of irradiated potato. These three factors were found to affect the dehydration rate and internal temperature of the potato, with an increase in irradiation dose, increasing the rate of dehydration and the internal temperature. The greater the dose, the lower the vitamin C content and the lower the rehydration ratio. The L-colour values of the dried-product under low dose irradiation were greater than for non-irradiation, and at >6 kGy, the higher the dose, the lower the L-value.