Liofilização como método de conservação aplicada à produtos de origem vegetal : uma revisão bibliográfica

Abstract

The lifestyle of the current society has changed habits of routines, such as people's food, causing an increase in demand for industrialized and good quality products. The food industry has always sought to develop foods that preserve their aromas, flavors , especially their nutritional characteristics. Among numerous conservation methods, lyophilization stands out, also known as freeze - drying or freeze - drying. The process consists of removing about 60 to 80% of the water through sublimation, causing the wat er activity (Aw) of the product, both animal and vegetable, to be reduced to the point of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms, thus increasing its shelf life and shelf life outside refrigeration. The application of this method to vegetables has been gr owing and proving to be efficient in recent years, as a way of circumventing large losses in the fruit and vegetable sector, considering that several vegetables have a very fast metabolism, which contributes to post - harvest losses, that with the increase o f maturation there is a greater proliferation of microorganisms and acceleration of degradation reactions. Thus, freeze - drying represents an alternative to circumvent these losses, in addition to delivering a totally differentiated product to the consumer. The present work, in the form of a bibliographic review, aims to describe lyophilization as a method of drying and conservation, as well as its advantages and applicability in vegetables.