INFLUENCE OF MICROWAVES AND SELECTED MANUFACTURING PARAMETERS ON APPLE CHIP QUALITY AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

Apple chips belong to the group of low-processed food products and are an interesting alternative to currently popular snacks. The aim of the work was to estimate the influence of chosen technological parameters on quality and antioxidant properties of apple chips. Thickness of apple slices, drying temperature and initial microwave treatment were analyzed. On the basis of experimental data, it was established that the drying temperature of 90C was optimal for obtaining products with advantageous sensory value. Apples before drying should be cut into slices 3.5 mm thick and immediately soaked in a solution containing saccharose, apple concentrate, citric acid and SO₂. It was shown that microwave pretreatment of apple slices (150-300 W, 5-10 min) shortened the drying time by about 25% and increased the antioxidant potential by about 30%. Because of the increasing incidence of civilization diseases, worldwide interest in snack products that are low in calories and healthy is still growing. The optimum parameters of apple chip production (slice thickness and drying temperature) to obtain a product of high antioxidant potential are presented in this study. It is also shown that application of microwave pretreatment enabled us to shorten the process duration and to reduce the production costs while antioxidant activity remained at a relatively high level.