Chapter 10: Peeling of Tomatoes Using Infrared Heating Technology

Chemical peeling of tomatoes is a common industrial practice worldwide. Peeling tomatoes using heat from infrared (IR) radiation presents an emerging chemical-free process, where the IR thermal energy eliminates chemicals used for separating the tomato peel from the flesh. IR peeling eliminates water usage and reduces energy consumption during peeling while improving the quality of the finished product. Because it requires neither chemicals nor a heating medium, such as hot water or steam, IR peeling is categorized as a ‘dry-peeling’ method. This chapter reviews the development of the IR peeling technique, including the IR heating principle, tomato peeling properties, peeling performance, the peeled product quality, the mechanism underlying IR dry-peeling, different types of IR emitters, the design of dry-peeling equipment, and computer simulations of the IR peeling process.