Effect of operational parameters on physicochemical quality and recovery of spray‐dried tomato powder.

This work investigates the effect of maltodextrin juice ratio (MJR) and the dryer inlet temperature (DIT) on physicochemical quality and the recovery of spray‐dried tomato powder. The tomato juice was spray‐dried at inlet air temperatures of 140, 150, and 160°C and maltodextrin:juice ratios of 30:70, 40:60, and 50:50. The tomato powder was analyzed for different quality parameters, viz. moisture content, packed bulk density, dispersion time, color, color index, total soluble solids, and titrable acidity. The results indicated that the recovery of tomato powder increased with an increase in the percentage of maltodextrin in tomato juice and decreased with an increase in the dryer inlet temperatures. The maximum powder recovery was 9.13% with 50:50 MJR and 150°C DIT, while minimum powder recovery was 6.10% with 30:70 MJR and 160°C DIT, respectively. Both temperature of inlet air and blending percentage affected the other quality parameters of spray‐dried powder. Practical applications: Tomato is an important vegetable seasonal crop, which is used in different recipes daily. Tomatoes and tomato products are rich in health‐related food components, as they are good source of carotenoids in particular lycopene, ascorbic acid, and phenolic compounds. Tomato powders are often used as an ingredient in sauces, soups, etc. The higher amount of water content present in the tomatoes can limit the conservation of these products but spray‐drying is one of the methods used in the formation of dried foodstuff and can be helpful in reducing postharvest losses and adding value to the raw produce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]