Usos de procesos de secado e impregnación para el desarrollo de alimentos funcionales: Enriquecimiento de placas de manzana con β-caroteno

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the use of drying and impregnating operations to obtain a functional food by impregnating a solution of β-carotene solution into convective dried apple slabs. The effect of convective drying conditions on the structural changes of apple slabs as well as on the impregnating of β-carotene was evaluated. By scanning electron microscopy, it was possible to observe, cellular collapse, folding of the cellular membrane and pore formation in apple slabs as a result of the dehydration. These phenomena affected the incorporation of β-carotene into the apple tissue. Concentrations of β-carotene found in the product after 120 minutes of impregnating varied between 2.0 and 2.8mg β-carotene/g.d.s using an impregnating solution of 10mg β-carotene/g.d.s. A portion of 10g of the obtained product contains levels of β-carotene that cover approximately 31- 59% of the recommended daily ingestion for an adult.