Study of the stability of passion fruit powder (Passiflora edullis f. flavicarpa) from organic farming

Resumo

Passion fruit is a fruit originating in the American tropics, is cultivated in countries with tropical and subtropical climates and belongs to the Passifloraceae family and Passiflora gender. One of the methods of cultivation of passion fruit is the organic system, a practice increasingly common in order to combine quality of food products with environmental preservation. Considering the current trends for nutritious foods and fast preparation, the use of dehydrated passion fruit offers an interesting alternative to reduce losses, add value to the product and provide other ways to consume fruit. Based on this information, the objective was to evaluate the stability and the quality of the organic passion fruit powder, obtained by spray drying, during 360 days of storage under room temperature (25 ± 2°C). The passion fruit powder was evaluated every 30 days during the 360 days of storage, for the chemical, physic-chemical and microbiological parameters. The organic passion fruit powder remained stable during the 360 days of storage at room temperature, offering great potential for use due to present adequate retention of ascorbic acid (15.86 mg/100 g), desired hygroscopicity (22.48 g of absorbed water/100 g), low water activity (0.46), stable acid pH (4.1), high levels of ash (4.7%), total sugar (36.93%), total extractable polyphenols (196.18 mg GAE/100 g) and satisfactory microbiological results with absence of coliforms at 35°C and 45°C, Salmonella sp/25 g, mesophilic and Staphylococcus coagulase positive values were less than 10 CFU/g.