Green chillies are rich in bioactive compounds but suffer significant nutrient loss during conventional drying and storage. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of four drying methods—sun drying (SD), tray drying (TD), microwave-assisted vacuum drying (MaVD), and freeze-drying (FD)—on the physicochemical properties of green chilli powder, and to assess the impact of three packaging materials (low-density polyethylene LDPE, clear glass, and amber glass) during six months of storage. Freeze-drying (FD) significantly outperformed other methods, retaining the highest levels of capsaicin (73.50 ± 0.22 mg/100 g), total chlorophyll (142.48 ± 0.18 mg/100 g), total phenolics (39.76 ± 0.38 mg GAE/100 g), and vitamin C (113.40 ± 0.28 mg/100 g). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that FD preserved a porous, intact microstructure, while other methods caused structural collapse. During storage, amber glass jars provided superior protection against light and oxygen, preserving chlorophyll and vitamin C significantly better than LDPE and clear glass ( p < 0.05). This study establishes an integrated “process-package” strategy combining FD with amber glass packaging. This approach effectively bridges the gap between processing and long-term storage, offering a commercially viable method for producing high-quality, shelf-stable green chilli powder with maximized bioactive retention for the nutraceutical and functional food industries. • Quantifies the Superiority of Freeze-Drying: Freeze-drying retained up to 215% more Vitamin C and 172% more capsaicin than sun-drying in green chilli, providing a definitive metric for quality superiority. • Links Microstructure to Bioactivity: SEM analysis reveals freeze-drying preserves a porous structure, providing a mechanistic explanation for its superior bioactive retention and rehydration potential. • Identifies Light as a Critical Degradation Factor: Amber glass packaging reduced chlorophyll loss by over 50% compared to LDPE during storage, quantitatively highlighting light protection as the most critical packaging feature. • Offers a Data-Driven Framework for Industry: The study provides a clear, quantified trade-off analysis between different drying and packaging technologies for producing high-value chilli powder. • Validates a Synergistic Model: The FD-amber glass combination is not just additive but synergistic, creating a “dual-barrier” against thermal and photo-oxidative damage throughout the product's lifecycle.
Nazir et al. (2026) studied this question.