Appropriate Technology for Tomato Powder Production

In Nigeria, tomatoes are grown in large and commercial scales in the North but consumed equally across the length and breadth of the entire country. Tomatoes are either used fresh or processed into paste, puree, ketchup and powder. Unfortunately, they are not only seasonal but highly perishable and deteriorate few days after harvest, which dampens the farmer's spirit to farming as he is forced to sell off produce at a loss to avert imminent total wastage. Canning of tomato paste has helped to curb this huge wastage, but the capital intensive nature of the industry had resulted into only a small percentage of the produce being absorbed by this industry. Dried tomatoes by direct drying in the sun are more durable but the end product is infested with dirt. This document considers the merits and demerits of spray drying technology for tomato powder production alongside two other alternative technologies of hot air convective dehydration with milling and a novel method called Refractance Window drying.