Study of Trehalose Addition on Aroma Retention in Dehydrated Strawberry Puree

Summary In order to improve the quality of dehydrated fruit products, the influence of the addition of two sugars (sucrose and trehalose) on the retention of aroma components during dehydration of strawberry puree was investigated. Manual headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME), containing polydimethylsiloxane coated fibre (100 m) coupled with gas chromatography (GC-FID and GC-MS) was used for the analysis of the aroma of strawberry puree dehydrated by using freeze drying and foam-mat drying. The analytes identified included esters, carbonyl compounds, terpenoids, several alcohols and acids. The results obtained in this study give further insight into the mechanisms concerning the application of trehalose as flavouring additive, due to its ability to retain and preserve the fruit volatiles responsible for the characteristic flavour of fresh fruits during dehydration processes. The best retention of aroma components in dehydrated strawberry puree was obtained by trehalose addition when combined with freeze drying.