The research conducted by Valeria Soledad Montiglioni is aimed at providing a new healthy food option for all the year via the osmotic dehydration of pineapples and the creation of a simple method to quantify the presence of bromelain in dried pineapples and those in syrup.
The report assesses the changes in the proteolytic activity that takes place in the fresh and osmotically dehydrated Ananas comosus, through the gelatin's halo liquefaction, at a constant temperature of 30°C and for 3 hours, monitoring the measurement every half hour.
The sample was taken by 120 students in the Nutrition Bachelor career in FASTA University, located in San Alberto Magno.
The data was collected through a survey on the acceptance and preference regarding dehydrated pineapple and fresh pineapple, and the level of knowledge about the fruit and its benefits.
The results of the study found that fresh pineapples had an increased protease activity when compared with the osmotically dehydrated pineapple. Enzymatic activity was found in the syrup.
The survey found that 74% of the respondents didn't consume pineapples, 35% of them answered there were different varieties of pineapples but didn't specify which. 60% of the people indicated they knew who the leading producer was, but only 5% answered correctly. 63% knew the characteristics of the fruit. 7% had eaten dried pineapples before, and 2% stated they knew what bromelain was.
The research determined that the students surveyed consumed dehydrated pineapples in their diet, which is important as they incorporated bromelain into their diet this way. This new option provides an extremely natural food that, after a simple industrial process, retains its nutritional properties and improves the organoleptic characteristics of the fruit.
It is an innovative way to extend the fruit's life, and it is a good choice for snacks and breakfast.