Osmo-dehydration pretreatment for drying of pumpkin slice

This study was designed to elucidate the effects of osmotic dehydration of pumpkin slice prior to hot-air drying. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with Central Composite Design was used to investigate the influence of three variables, namely sucrose concentration (30-60?Brix), immersion temperature (35-65?C) and immersion time (90-120 min). These factors increased the solid gains and decreased the water activity (aw) of the samplewhile the temperature and sucrose solution concentration increased the water loss (p<0.05). These changes affected the L* and b* values of the final product (p<0.05). The process temperature also affected the sensorial properties by increasing the sweetness, dryness, hardness and overall acceptance of the dried pumpkin slice (p