Liu Y. Technology of semi-finished product from dried beetroot, pretreated by freeze-thaw method and food products using it

Beetroot is a root vegetable containing betalain, ascorbic acid, polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, carotenoids and a high content of nitrates. Beetroot provides a number of health benefits and can help prevent or be therapeutic for a variety of disorders and diseases due to its bioactive components. Meanwhile, due to its wide range of phytochemicals, beetroot is a potential source of nutraceutical substances that can be employed to create functional foods. In terms of pharmacology, beetroot has the potential to act as a powerful antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancerous, hypocholesterolemic, and anti-inflammatory agent. Due to its growing popularity as a source of natural antioxidants, beetroot is increasingly being processed and used in products. Beetroot is intended for the food business and is used as a food coloring or additive in food products such as meat products, confectionery, bakery products, dairy products and other products. The beetroot extract is used to enhance the color in tomato pastes, soups, sauces, desserts, jams, jellies, candies and breakfast cereals. Fresh beetroot is exposed to spoilage due to its high moisture content. Drying is one of the oldest, widely-applied food preservation operations, which consists of the reduction in the water content slowing down microbial or enzymatic degradation oxidation. Drying methods applied may affect the color, shape, structure, nutritional and nutraceutical compounds in all kinds of ways. As a consequence, it is crucial to choose an optimal drying method. The optimization of the drying procedure is a critical step toward obtaining dehydrated beetroots with the lowest loss of the nutrients and maximum potential activities. The quality of the product obtained depends largely on the methodology used. The use of pre-treatments prior to drying is an alternative for better preserving fresh food attributes and reducing energy requirements. The results vary widely depending on the type of pre-treatments used and the product in question, although in some instances, an increase in drying rate and a greater retention of quality can be noted.