INFLUENCE OF CABINET DRYING TEMPERATURE ON THE MOISTURE CONTENT AND YIELD OF TOMATO POWDER

Abstract

This study was conducted at Post- harvest Technology laboratory to  investigated the weight changes during tomato powder processing and the effect of cabinet drying temperature on the moisture content of the resulting powder. Fresh tomato fruits (100 kg) were subjected to a series of unit operations including sorting, cleaning, blanching, de-seeding, de-skinning, blending, evaporation, cabinet drying, and milling. The weight at each processing stage was recorded. The concentrated tomato paste was dried in a cabinet dryer at four temperatures: 55°C (T₁), 65°C (T₂), 75°C (T₃), and 85°C (T₄) until constant weight was attained. Moisture content of the tomato powder was determined using the oven drying method at 105°C for 24 hours. Results showed that the weight of tomato samples decreased progressively at each processing stage, with the most substantial losses occurring during evaporation (48.90 kg) and cabinet drying (24.60 kg). The final tomato powder yield was 10.20 kg, representing 10.20% of the initial fresh weight. Moisture content of the tomato powder decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing drying temperature, ranging from 8.50 ± 0.08% at 55°C to 4.66 ± 0.05% at 85°C. All treatments produced powders with moisture contents below 10%, which is adequate for microbial stability and extended shelf life. The study concludes that increasing cabinet drying temperature enhances moisture removal from tomato paste, with 85°C producing the lowest moisture content. However, a drying temperature of 65–75°C is recommended as a practical compromise between drying efficiency and potential nutrient retention. The findings provide useful data for the optimisation of tomato powder production at the small- and medium-scale levels.