Effect of microwave on dried figs and evaluation of the product color changes

In this study, effect of microwave heating was evaluated on Iranian dried fig storage. To this goal, the dried fig samples heated in a microwave oven (2450 MHz) at the power outputs of 450, 720, and 900 W for 20, 30, 40, and 50 s. Subsequently, changes in the colors of the product samples under the effects of the varied microwave applications were investigated in terms of lightness (ΔL*), redness (Δa*), and yellowness (Δb*) using an image processing technique. The dried fig samples experienced fewer changes in their color parameters. Considering the successful pest control and acceptable changes in the product quality, microwave irradiation can be introduced as an appropriate alternative to chemical fumigants.

کلیدواژه ها:

colorimetric assay ، CIELAB ، microwave heating.