IMPROVEMENT OF CANDIED FRUIT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Abstract
The production of candied fruits produces a significant number of by-products that can be used as raw materials for value-added products, as they contain a number of biologically active components. The aim of this study is to develop an improved technology for the production of candied fruits, which involves the integrated use of production by-products. The uniqueness of the proposed technology is the use of osmotic dehydration for preliminary dehydration of fruits. Apricot fruits were used as the subject of the study. The use of osmotic dehydration allowed to exclude sulfur dioxide treatment from the traditional technology of candied fruit production, which positively affected their safety. Treatment in an osmotic solution helps preserve the natural color without the use of sulfur dioxide. In addition, dehydration at low temperatures helps preserve the biological value of the raw materials and by-products. Osmotic solution, which is usually (with traditional technology) used no more than 5 times and then disposed of, was proposed to be used for sugar enrichment. Sugar enriched with osmotic solution had a light beige color, clean without spots and foreign impurities, sweet taste and apricot aroma. A SWOT analysis was used to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the improved technology. The results of the SWOT analysis showed that the improved technology for processing apricot fruits and producing enriched sugar has a significant number of strengths that are supported and developed by the existing opportunities. In the future, thanks to the analysis of external opportunities, a candied fruit production enterprise can find new directions for its development. Strengths will help such an enterprise develop in the face of existing threats or significantly weaken their impact.
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