• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.362-370
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• 2009

Quality changes in semi-dried red pepper (SRP) treated with ozone water were observed upon storage (at $-18^{\circ}C$) after freezing at $-10^{\circ}C$, $-20^{\circ}C$, and $-40^{\circ}C$. Drip loss after treatment was greater than in control peppers, but no significant difference was evident between treatments (p<0.05). We observed that differences between samples decreased as storage time increased. Texture after treatment did not change significantly over a 3-month period. The redness (a-value) after treatment was greater than in the control, but no sample showed significant color alteration after the 3-month period. The capsaicinoid content decreasedas storage time increased, and was also affected by the freezing temperature. However, carotenoid content was not influenced by freezing or storage temperature. Ascorbic acid and free sugar contents showed decreases of 47% and 6.5%, respectively, after semi-drying. The results of sensory evaluation indicated no significant difference between samples in terms of color appearance.