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 degrees C. 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 degrees C and did not change during drying at 80 degrees C. (C) 1999 Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.