Infrared radiation peeling experiment of yellow peach and optimization of technological parameters

Conventional strong alkali spray peeling method for peeling yellow peach resulted in process hazard and negative environmental impacts. The efficacy of using infrared (IR) heating as an alternative method for peach peel removal was investigated to improve the operation safety and peeling quality. Herein, we introduce the Box-Behnken central combination method for conducting IR radiation tests. A multivariate regression model combining radiation distance, heating time and IR power as variable factors and surface temperature, full peeling time and firmness loss of yellow peach as the objective functions was developed to establish the optimal IR radiation parameters for peeling the skin of yellow peach. We found radiation distance of 76.18mm, heating time of 256.36 s, and IR power was 1000 w were the optimal conditions for this process. These conditions achieved surface temperature of 211.7 degrees C, firmness loss of 3.8 x 10(5) Pa, and full peeling time of 149.6 s. Thus, IR radiation is a feasible mechanism for peeling yellow peach, providing a new, safer and quality method for industrial processing of the fruit.