Optimization of Vacuum Impregnation Conditions Using Response Surface Methodology for soaking of pantoa

Vacuum impregnation (VI) is a new technology which has significant advantages over conventional soaking of food product. An attempt was made to optimize the conditions for VI of pantoa. Pantoa was fried at the optimized sub-baric frying conditions (122 °C for 360 s at 200 mm Hg vacuum). Sub-baric fried pantoa balls were soaked in sugar impregnation unit having sugar syrup concentration of 40, 50 and 60 oBrix at room temperature for 3, 5 and 7 min. The sugar syrup of 40, 50 and 60 oBrix was prepared by mixing 40, 50 and 60 parts of crystalline sugar in 60, 50 and 40 parts of portable water, respectively. The face-centered central composite design consisting of 13 runs used for the optimization of VI conditions of pantoa. The response surface models developed in this study for predicting overall acceptability, expansion ratio, sugar content, hardness and chewiness. The conditions for VI were optimized at 55°C for 6 min at 32± 2 oC temperature. VI helped to reduce soaking time to a great extent as compared to soaking time required for conventional method (2-4 h)