Oxidative heat damage of tomato halves as affected by drying

Ripe, fresh tomato halves of Rita cultivar were dried in a pilot-plant cabinet air dryer at 80 and 110 \ub0C. During drying the variation in loss of weight and tomato temperature was continuously measured, and tomato samples were taken to make a visual evaluation of color and to determine the lycopene, ascorbic acid and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (HMF) contents. Color, ascorbic acid and HMF contents indicated severe oxidative heat damage during drying. Conversely, lycopene had a high stability during drying. The lycopene content decreased to a maximum of 10% after drying at 110 C and did not change during drying at 80