Evaluation Data of Dried Vegetables and Fruits

Drying is the process of removing of the water that has destroying effect in food products by evaporation and. Research project on the basis of direct sun drying and solar greenhouse. Basic operations research in food engineering, food chemistry, food quality control and toxicology has been established over such a broad spectrum. Subjects of investigation were in accordance with all of the values of dry matter basis. The study of dry matter and water activity values of each product (aw), direct sun drying, drying in the greenhouse. It was determined comparing nutrients of samples those were applied directly to the greenhouse and drying in the sun. Sampling patterns of research were explained as follow; tomatoes drying in the sun (external environment), and greenhouse, bell peppers in the greenhouse and drying in the sun, soaked raisins (sultanas) and not-soaked (raisin), sun-dried, sun-dried fig products directly. Nutrients of the samples such as; lycopene, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), retinol (A), Pyridoxine (B6), ascorbic acid (C), folic acid, magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sodium (Na), phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) were quantitatively determined. The red pepper products, dried figs and dried grapes mycotoxin amounts were in safe levels, which had not created any hazard and risk for health. Red pepper and dried figs, total aflatoxins, (B1, B2, G1, G2), ochratoxin A (OTA) levels in raisin in the European Union is set well below the limits in terms of human health hazard and the risk factor has been identified.

Effects of Temperature and Humidity on Fungal Occurrence in Dried Red Pepper during Storage

Dried red peppers are frequently contaminated with mycotoxins during storage. To determine the effect of storage environments on fungal occurrence and subsequent mycotoxin accumulation in dried red peppers, we monitored red pepper powder and whole fruit samples for fungal occurrence under various temperatures and relative humidity (RH) conditions during 340 days. Fungal occurrences fluctuated in both pepper forms throughout the storage but they were higher in pepper powder than whole one, higher under low temperatures (-20°C, 0°C, or 4°C) than others (10°C, 25°C, or 30°C), and higher under RH 93% than RH 51% and 69% in both peppers. The samples exhibiting high fungal occurrences were associated mainly with dominant species such as Aspergillus sydowii, Penicillium solitum, P. roqueforti, P. polonicum, or P. chrysogenum. Mycotoxigenic species, including A. flavus, A. ochraceus, A. westerdijkiae, A. tubingensis, and P. citrinum, were also detected throughout the samples. Although mycotoxins were not detected in the samples, mycotoxigenic potential of A. flavus, A. ochraceus, and A. westerdijkiae isolates were confirmed. These results show that low temperatures (-20°C, 0°C, or 4°C) and/or high surrounding RH (>93%) are not safe environments for storage of dried red peppers as fungal growth can occur under these conditions.