An innovative and energy efficient commercial scale sequential infrared dry-blanching and hot air drying system was demonstrated to show how to produce healthy fruit and vegetable snacks. The demonstration system was successfully designed, built and tested by the United States Department of Agriculture, University of California, Davis and the Treasure8 food processing plant in Richmond (Contra Costa County), California. In drying tests, the system was able to process between 173 and 292 pounds per hour of fresh thin apple, carrot, kale, pear, sweet potato, pepper and zucchini slices, reducing moisture content to about 5 percent.
The chips dried using this technology kept the attractive color, and taste, retained most of the nutrients, were crispier and crunchier, and maintained the same level of overall acceptance compared to freeze-dried products. The energy savings by this drying technology ranged from 26 percent to almost 73 percent compared to traditional oil frying and when compared to freeze drying, energy savings ranged from 62 percent to more than 82 percent. Additionally, the project achieved significant fresh water savings from the elimination of the blanching process normally used to produce this type of snack food.
