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Quality and Safety Characteristics of Infrared Dried Onion Products

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Paper number  046189,  2004 ASAE Annual Meeting . (doi: 10.13031/2013.17708) @2004
Authors:   Michael Gabel, Zhongli Pan, Sanath Amaratunga
Keywords:   Drying Rate, Dehydration, Onion

California produces 75% of the dehydrator onions in the United States. The onions are commonly dried with conventional convective drying which is inefficient and costly. Therefore, this study examined possible advantages of infrared drying for onions. Onions dehydrated using a catalytic flameless gas-fired infrared (CFGIR) drier had a significantly higher drying rate at 70oC when compared to the forced air convection (FAC) drier. Samples dried at 60oC showed no significant difference between the different drying methods. Air recirculation within the FCGIR also did not contribute to increased drying rate. No major differences in quality attributes, namely pungency and color, were found in samples dehydrated by each drying method. Onions dried in the FCGIR drier resulted in better color compared to retail samples of onions powder and minced onions. FCGIR drying could have great potentials for fruits and vegetables.

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