Effect of osmotic dehydration and gamma irradiation on quality characteristics of dried vegetable slices

Osmotic drying is commonly utilized to create innovative products, as it can improve the sensory and nutritional qualities of the final products. The present study aims to investigate the effect of different osmotic solutions, including soaking in 1% citric acid, 10% NaCl, and a combination of 1% citric acid and 10% NaCl, as well as different doses of gamma irradiation (1 and 3 kGy), on the quality properties of dehydrated vegetable slices. The chemical composition, mineral content, Color measurement, texture profile, vitamin C levels, and sensory attributes were evaluated for dried vegetable slices. The findings showed that treating vegetable slices with a combination of 1% citric acid and 10% NaCl increased ash (3.43-4.34%), hardness, and total phenolic content (38.37-117.04 mg GAE/100 g). It was the most preferred by the panelists in sensory evaluation scores in comparison to the other treatments. Moreover, there were no significant differences in terms of chemical composition, mineral content, and texture profile analysis between irradiation doses of 1 and 3 kGy. Furthermore, samples irradiated at 1 kGy had significantly higher scores in sensory evaluation compared to both irradiated and unirradiated samples. The current study recommends treating vegetable slices with a combination of 1% citric acid and 10% NaCl before drying to enhance most of the quality attributes of the dried vegetable slices.