Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Awais Junaid, Asad Imtiaz, Muhammad Masood Qureshi, Arfan Ali, Arif Malik, Mahmood Hussain Qazi and Nasir Mahmood
Background: The post-harvest spoilage of Apricot is a significant issue for small scale farmers all around the globe. Apricots are easily damaged in the environment due to retaining higher moisture content. Objective: One of the successful technique opted for developing fruit powder of extended shelf life is spray drying. The aim of this research was the production of Apricot powder by overcoming stickiness with the use of carrier agents (Arabic gum and Malt dextrin). The impact on Apricot powder formation of input variables such as Inlet temperature, outlet temperature, concentration of carrier agent and Brix were investigated. Methods: Spray drying technology was incorporated to meet our objectives of proposed study. Results: Fresh Apricot pulp (100 mL) with 15 g of Arabic gum, diluted by addition of distill water to adjust Brix at 20° was processed through a lab scale spray dryer with inlet temperature at 190°C. These drying parameters were observed as the best drying conditions for maximum production of Apricot powder (9.1%). Conclusions: The results of this study specify that the maximum powder formation of Apricot pulp was achieved when Arabic gum was used as a carrier agent.
