Studies on Foam-Mat Drying of Papaya (Carica Papaya L.) Fruit

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is highly perishable in nature and cannot be stored as such for longer periods in ambient condition. The losses can be minimized by converting into different by-products. The dehydrated papaya powder holds a promising and potential market. The pulp was subjected to produce stable foam by using methyl cellulose, glycerol-mono-stearate and egg albumin as foaming agents with selected levels. The stable foam was dried at 60, 65 and 70 degree Celsius. Biochemical analysis of papaya powder showed a significant reduction in ascorbic acid, ß-carotene and total sugars in the foamed papaya dried product at higher foam thickness (6 and 8 mm) and temperature (65 and 70°C) due to destruction at higher drying temperature and increasing time. There was no significant change in other biochemical constituents such as pH and acidity. The sensory evaluation of the quality attributes of papaya powder obtained from the pulp treated with glycerol-mono-stearate and dried at 60°C was found to be optimum to produce powder. The foam-mat drying is a good alternative to other drying processes, also, a promising potential for the food and fruit processing industry.