Obtaining tomato powder using infrared processing and drying

The purpose of the study is to obtain tomato powder using infrared processing and drying for use in the preparation of flour confectionery products. Objectives: analysis of the content of macro- and microelements in tomato powder obtained at different heating temperatures; determination of vitamin C content in tomato powder during storage. Infrared processing and drying of tomatoes crushed into a figure of eight shape is implemented in an oscillating mode. The content of mineral substances in tomato powder obtained from chopped tomatoes dried at heating temperatures of 50 and 60 °C by grinding in a centrifugal mill was studied. It was established that an increase in the heating temperature of tomatoes during infrared processing and drying from 50 to 60 °C leads to a loss of macro- and microelements from 21.1 to 86.5 %, and a 2-fold decrease in iron and copper. The results of the study showed that infrared-dried tomato powder contains large quantities of elements that are physiologically significant for humans and satisfy the daily requirement of an adult for magnesium, potassium, iron and manganese by 48.85, respectively; 28.84; 22.86 and 27.5 %. The degree of preservation of vitamin C in tomato powder during storage under optimal storage conditions was studied. It was revealed that in hermetically packaged infrared-dried tomato powder during nine months of storage there are no significant changes in organoleptic quality indicators, only a decrease in vitamin C content by 18–19 % from the initial state is observed. This circumstance suggests that removing moisture from tomatoes to moisture content below 12 % to obtain tomato powder makes it possible to preserve hermetically sealed products with a high content of useful substances under normal conditions for a long time.