Evaluation of heat-sensitive micronutrients in freh, sun-dried and solar-dried capsicum varieties grown in Peru
- Publication Type
- Contribution to conference
- Authors
- Nagle, M; Jankowsky, B; Pineda, KP; Rios, L; Jäger, M; Nohr, D; Müller, J
- Year of publication
- 2011
- Conference name
- Tropentag 2011
- Conference location
- Bonn
- Conference date
- October 5 - 7, 2011
The genus Capsicum, with its center of origin in Central and South America, is an important ingredient in national cuisines as well as one of the most important agricultural export commodities of Peru. Many small scale farmers depend on the cultivation of Capsicum species, which are used as both fresh and dried materials. Many studies have documented that Capsicum peppers contain high concentrations of vitamins C and E, as well as carotenoids and phenolic compounds with well-known antioxidant properties (Hervert-Hernández et al., 2010).
In Peru, Capsicum fruits are traditionally sun-dried in open-field settings. Previously, this was identified as one of the major critical control points for quality assurance (Salvatierra 2010) when considering HACCP principles. However, the practice remains widespread due to low investment and labor costs as well as a lack of feasible alternatives. In such practices, extended drying processes, high relative humidity, moderate to low temperatures, as well as direct exposure to soils and environmental contamination, favor the growth of fungi which lead to the production of aflatoxins. Furthermore, due to direct exposition to the ground the product is also fouled with dirt. Field workers carrying out the drying represent another contamination factor as they directly walk on the product in order to turn the heaped piles of fruits. Similarly, animals in the drying area contribute to contamination of the product as it is not protected in any way. Also the product is not sheltered against climatic factors such as rain or fog (Salvatierra, 2010, Halle, 2010). The aim of the current study was to compare the influence of drying method, namely open field sun-drying versus drying in a solar dryer, with respect to quality content of several different Capsicum varieties with regards to carotenoids, vitamin C and E with the goal of preserving nutritional value and providing high-quality dried capsicum products.