Volatiles Identification in Pineapple Submitted to Drying in an Ethanolic Atmosphere

Pineapple slices were dried under normal and modified atmosphere in a lab-scale tunnel dryer. The atmosphere was modified by addition of 0.5% ethanol v/v to the air stream using two different temperatures and two different air velocities. A manual solid-phase micro-extractor coupled to a gas chromatographer/mass spectrometer (SPME-GC-MS) was used to determine the volatiles composition in fresh and dried pineapple samples. Important volatile compounds of pineapple aroma were detected in fresh as well as dried samples. The modified atmosphere promoted more rapid water evaporation and better retention of the volatile compounds upon drying.

Keywords:

• Aroma
• Ethanol
• Modified atmosphere
• SPME
• Volatiles

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors acknowledge CAPES (Brazilian Agency for Improvement of Graduate Personnel, Brazil) for the M.Sc. scholarship provided to A.M.P. Braga.

Notes

F: fresh samples; ND: samples dried under normal atmosphere; MD: samples dried under modified atmosphere.

F: fresh samples; ND: samples dried under normal atmosphere; MD: samples dried under modified atmosphere; a: peak area lower than the minimum level of detection; b: Component not characteristic of pineapple, appearance on sample due to the contact with plastic film.