Quality and Safety of Jalapeño Peppers Dehydrated via Solar and Conventional Drying in Mexico
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62452/rm8xew08Keywords:
Capsicum annuum L, jalapeño pepper, solar dehydration, physicochemical quality, water activity, food safety, humid tropicsAbstract
Vegetable dehydration extends shelf life and reduces postharvest losses; however, under humid tropical conditions, final product quality depends not only on water removal but also on drying-environment control, water activity, color retention, and microbial load. This study evaluated the physicochemical quality and safety of jalapeño pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) dehydrated by conventional electric drying (T1), tunnel solar drying (T3), and open-air solar drying (T4), compared with a fresh control sample (CV). The indirect solar box treatment (T2) was excluded due to fungal deterioration affecting more than 60% of the batch during processing. Ash, fiber, moisture, dry matter, water activity, CIE L*a*b* color parameters, and reported microbiological indicators, including Escherichia coli, molds, yeasts, and aerobic mesophilic bacteria, were analyzed. T3 showed the most consistent balance between physicochemical quality and safety: 14.4% moisture, 85.6% dry matter, 4.7% ash, 17.2% fiber, L* = 40.9, a* = 10.8, and b* = 19.5, with no reported detection of E. coli, molds, yeasts, or mesophiles. T4 reached lower moisture (13.8%) and water activity of 0.60, but it showed E. coli (89 CFU/g) and molds and yeasts (72 CFU/g), compromising its suitability for commercial processing. T1 showed no detectable microbial counts, but it had high residual moisture (22.5%) and greater visual color deterioration. Tunnel solar drying was therefore the most balanced alternative for jalapeño pepper preservation in the humid tropics, although water activity reduction should be optimized for long-term storage and commercial validation.
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