INVESTIGATION OF DRYING KINETICS AND QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF FRUIT BARS ENRICHED WITH CHLORELLA AND SPIRULINA PLATENSIS

The aim: This study analyzes the drying kinetics and the influence of technological parameters on the quality of functional fruit bars enriched with the microalgae Spirulina platensis and Chlorella. The aim is to optimize the conditions for convective drying while preserving the sensory properties of the final product. Materials and methods: The researchers investigated two independent variables: drying temperature (60–70°C) and fruit layer thickness (9–15 mm). The dynamics of moisture content change were monitored by recording drying curves. The degree of deformation of the fruit bars after drying was calculated as the ratio between the initial and final thickness of the samples. Results: A drying temperature of approximately 65°C and a layer thickness of 9–12 mm yielded optimal conditions for a high sensory score (>9.0) and low deformation (<5.0 mm). The results confirm the applicability of a modeling approach for designing technological regimes for the production of sustainable, functional fruit-based products with high nutritional value. Conclusion: The tasting evaluation shows that the highest ratings (over 9) were for bars with a thickness of 9 mm and a drying temperature of 60°C and 65°C, respectively, and a deformation of 4.3 and 5.6 mm, respectively. Bars with a thickness of 12 mm, dried at 60°C, had a slightly lower tasting evaluation (8.6), but their deformation was significant at 6.3 mm.