INFLUENCE OF FOAM-MAT DRYING TEMPERATURE OF RED JAMBO (Syzygium malaccense)

Brazilian cerrado is a richest biomes in the world, with native and exotic fruit species, but little explored. In the face of this diversity, the red jambo stands, because is an exotic fruit with remarkable sensorial characteristics, but highly perishable and with reduced shelf life. The foam-mat drying (FMD) is a technique that assist in the fruit conservation, origin the product in powder of highly quality, with high porosity and hydration capacity. Thus, this paper aimed the evaluation the kinetic and to adjust mathematics models the drying curves in foam-mat of jambo pulp in different temperatures, an also, to analyze the influence of drying temperature in the vitamin C concentration. The fruits were acquired in the cerrado mato-grossense, the foam formulated starting of red jambo containing pulp and peel add of 4,5% (m/m) of emulsifier The drying were realized in air circulating kiln in the temperature 50, 60 and 70ºC, and the mathematics models of Lewis, Midilli and Kucuk and Page were adjusted to kinetics data experimental. The powder obtained in the three temperature were characterized with respect to humidity, pH, acidity, ash and vitamin C percentage. The kinetics results showed that the drying period was time and temperature dependent, and in the mathematics modeling the better adjustment was obtained using the Midilli and Kucuk and Page models, with determination coefficient above of 0,98. In the characterization physic-chemical, the jambo powder showed acid pH, with increase in the acidity and ashes, besides that, the vitamin C content decreased according the raise of temperature (106,88, 89,02 e 62,39 mg, respectively to the temperature of 50, 60 and 70ºC). Thus, concluded that the increase temperature favored the reduction in the drying time, however, the jambo pulp foam dried at 50ºC showed higher retention of vitamin C due the lower exposure temperature.