Effect of drying and storage time on the physico-chemical properties of mango leathers

Fruit leathers are made by drying a very thin layer of fruit puree to obtain a chewy product. The objective of this work was to minimise the drying time required to produce mango leathers with no preservatives and no sugar added, and to evaluate their acceptance and storage stability. Mango puree was spread on Petri dishes and oven-dried according to a central composite design with two independent variables: drying temperature (60-80 degrees C) and puree load (0.4-0.6 g cm(-2)). The minimum drying time (120 min) resulted from drying a puree load of 0.5 g cm(-2) at 80 degrees C. The product was well accepted, especially in terms of flavour. The mango leathers were packed in polypropylene buckets and stored at 25 degrees C. The combination between low water activity (0.62) and low pH (3.8) allowed the product to be microbiologically stable for at least 6 months, without the need for chemical preservatives.