Optimization of the Drying of Artocarpus Altilis "Tree Bread" using Combined Methods of Osmodeshydration and Hot Air

To extend the shelf life and make efficient use of the fruit requires industrial processing, transforming the fresh fruit into a dehydrated product. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine the optimal technological process for the dehydration of tree bread (Artocarpus altilis) by combined methods, osmodeshidratado (OD) and hot air drying (HAD) showing its effect on the kinetics of OD, sensory and physicochemical characteristics. The Taguchi design was used with 8 treatments that were formulated through the following factors: OD concentration (40-60°Brix), OD temperature (20-40°C), OD time (1-8hr), HAD temperature (45-65°C) and HAD time (1-2hr), at 5% significance. The products with the lowest %H, which were obtained from the treatments with the best results in the first stage, were sensorially evaluated using a hedonic scale (1-7) and Friedman's nonparametric test. The results indicated that at a concentration of 60 ºBrix, time 8 hr and temperature 65 ºC in OD and at a time of 2 hr in HAD, obtaining a product with 16.2% moisture, with better sensory and physicochemical results with 76.5% carbohydrates, 8% protein, 1.7 % fat, 1.0 % ash, 0.9 % crude fiber and total energy of 353.3 Kcal. Therefore, the study demonstrated that the combined OD and HAD methods reduce heat stress, stabilize sensory parameters and maintain the nutritional value of arbor bread.