Process for dehydration of berries

US6312745A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• University of British Columbia · CA

Inventors

• Timothy D. Durance · Vancouver, CA
• Ziba Vaghri · Vancouver, CA
• Christine H. Scaman · Vancouver, CA
• David D. Kitts · Richmond, CA
• Jian Wang · Beijing, CN
• Chun Hu · Vancouver, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 7, 2000
• Grant date: Nov 6, 2001
• Expiry date: Jul 7, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A23V2002/00
• WIPO field: Food chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process for drying antioxidant-rich berries (such as blueberries) to preserve their antioxidant action and their antioxidant compounds is disclosed. The process may conventionally dry the antioxidant-rich berries to remove 0 to 90% of the initial mass of water associated with them, but the important step is subjecting the antioxidant-rich berries to vacuum microwave drying (VMD) at an absolute pressure of 0 to 200 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) (preferably 30 to 60 mm Hg) and 0.1 to 2 watts of microwave power/gram of berries (preferably 0.5 to 1 watt/gram) to reduce the moisture content to a residual moisture content of less than 35% of the dry weight of the final dry product