Work

Rheological Evaluation of Acerola Pulp In Natura and Reconstituted Powders Obtained by Foam-Mat Drying

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Acerola is a fruit rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, but it has a short shelf life. Foam-mat dehydration is a promising method for extending the shelf life, but it can change the rheological properties of the powder. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the rheology of acerola fresh pulp and the reconstituted powder, obtained by drying at 60 °C using the foam-mat method with the additive Emustab (4%), to indicate which powder concentration possesses similar rheological properties to the fresh pulp. The experiment was performed with different concentrations of reconstituted powder in deionized water (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%, w/v). The Herschel–Bulkley model was the one that adequately adjusted to the experimental rheological data, showing that the reconstituted powder and fresh pulp are non-Newtonian fluids with pseudoplastic behavior and initial shear stress. Shear stress rose and apparent viscosity decreased with increasing shear rate, regardless of the concentration. Emustab did not modify the rheological characteristics of the acerola pulp, which maintained the non-Newtonian fluid characteristic. The 2% concentration provides a reconstituted product more like the fresh pulp.

Source: AgriEngineering

DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering8020044

Authors: Leandro Fagundes Mançano, Gabriel Henrique Horta de Oliveira

Institutions: Federal Center for Technological Education Celso Suckow da Fonseca, Instituto Federal do Sudeste de Minas Gerais

Language: English

Topic: Food Drying and Modeling

Subfield: Food Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,930

Funders: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais