ఫుడ్ ప్రాసెసింగ్ & టెక్నాలజీ జర్నల్

నైరూప్య

Studies on the Effect of Different Solar Dryers on the Vitamin Content of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon)

J. I. Eze

Samples of tomato fruits were dried under four different conditions: open-air sun drying method and by using three different models of integral passive solar dryers which include Green house solar dryer, Sun-tracking solar dryer and Latitudinal box solar dryer. The fresh tomato samples and the dried samples were analysed for vitamins A, C and E. The results showed a significant difference in the concentrations of Vitamins A, C and E between the fresh and the dried samples for all drying systems. While Vitamins C reduced in concentration for all dried samples, Vitamins A and E increased significantly with open-air system having the highest value in vitamin C concentration while latitudinal box dryer gave the best result in terms of vitamins A and E retention. All year round availability of tomato could be enhanced by chipping and drying. Packaging and marketing of dried chips in small quantities could be a lucrative entrepreneurial endeavour for the business minded.