摘要：This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations (0, 188, 452, 791, 1034, 1236, 2899 and 3864 mg SO2/kg) on the physical, chemical and microbiological qualities of dried apricots (DAs). Non-sulfited DAs were evaluated as a control group. Strong correlations were determined between SO2 concentration with pH (r = ‒ 0.913), titratable acidity values (r = 0.983), browning values (r = – 0.981) and β-carotene contents (r = 0.822) of DAs (P<0.05). The number of total psycrophilic aerobic bacteria (TPAB), lactic acid bacteria, yeast and mold, xerophilic mould, Staphylococcus spp., and total Enterobacteriaceae were below the detection limit (<0.6 log cfu/g) in samples containing SO2 even at the lowest level (188 mg SO2/kg). Although 188 mg SO2 per kg of DAs is sufficient SO2 concentration with respect to browning color and microbial load right after drying, DAs should contain minimum 791 mg SO2/kg to protect the initial β-carotene content.
