Abstract

Post harvest losses are considerably high in India. Dehydration technology plays a vital role in the preservation of fruits and vegetables, by converting them to a stable form that can be stored throughout the year. Tomato is an important seasonal vegetable widely grown in India. It contains 0.9% protein, 48% calcium and 3.6% carbohydrates and offers 20 Kilocalories of energy. Biochemical analysis showed that, the total ash content was found to increase as the percentage of dextrose levels increases. Treatment with 1200 ppm SMBS and 1% calcium chloride had an increased crude fat level, that caused a higher level of discolouration in the dehydrated sample. Reducing sugar levels were the highest in the best-treated sample.

Keywords: Tomato, post harvest loss, crude fibre, calcium chloride, fat level