Assessment of Microwave Drying Conditions Effect on Pineapple Color Quality and Stability via Multivariate Data Analysis

Authors : Aysel Aygün

Pages : 328-343

Doi:10.24180/ijaws.1752189

View : 143 | Download : 201

Publication Date : 2025-12-29

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Fruit-based snacks produced via drying methods have gained commercial relevance in the global food industry. Different drying technique distinctly influences food quality attributes. Color is one of the most fundamental quality parameters of a food, and undesirable color changes in dried foods can lead to reduced marketability and final quality. This study was investigated that the effects of microwave power level (200 and 600 W) (MD) and slice thickness (3 and 5 mm) on color retention in pineapples. Colorimetric parameters (L*a*b*Ch), Browning Index (BI), Whiteness Index (WI), and total color difference (ΔE) were evaluated. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) analyses were conducted using color models. The findings demonstrated that MD power intensity and pineapple slice thickness had a pronounced effect on color properties. Increased MD power intensity and slice thickness resulted in significant reductions in L*, b*, C, and WI values, while a*, ΔE, and BI values exhibited marked increases, indicating intensified pigment degradation and non-enzymatic browning reactions. The most favorable visual quality was achieved at 200 W combined with 3 mm slice thickness, minimizing thermal damage and preserving yellow hues. PCA, explained for 97% of the total variance and effectively differentiated the samples according to drying conditions. Furthermore, the SIMCA analysis revealed that pineapple slices obtained through different drying methods could be classified based on their color data with 85% accuracy. The study demonstrates that maintaining the chromatic integrity and visual quality of microwave-dried pineapples requires careful optimization of both power density and slice dimensions.
Keywords : Renk modelleri, Fonksiyonel gıdalar, Ananas cipsleri, Ananas atıştırmalıkları, Dilim kalınlığı

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