Dehydrated Onion
The domestic onion is one of the world’s oldest crops. The many advances in the formulation and manufacture of dehydrated meals have created a demand for onion in a powder form and considerable tonnages are now dehydrated annually to satisfy this need.
There is some loss in the fresh odor and flavor character during the processing but, in spite of this, the dehydrated form has the advantage that it saves valuable preparation time on the factory floor, there is little or no waste or spoilage and, within acceptable limits, it gives a consistent flavor to the end product.
The nature of this flavor is different from that of fresh onions so that a direct equivalence cannot be established. However, allowance is made for this during product formulation and an acceptable usage level established by trial and error. For guidance, initial usage levels assume an 8:1 fortification of the flavor in the dehydrated form and the missing top-notes may be added in the form of a liquid flavor made from onion oil.
Onions grown for dehydration are not generally the same as those used domestically. The prime consideration is, of course, that of high dry solids content with a good level of flavor and pungency.
Although care is taken during all stages of manufacture, onion powder is still hygienically suspect, and unless special handling techniques are adopted the product may show very high total bacterial and spore counts. However, these counts are of far less significance to the food processor than is presence of pathogens and Salmonella which clearly indicates faulty processing. Most specification for onion powder define limit for total count but this is relatively meaningless. Of far greater significance is a limit of Coliform organisms and a requirement that pathogens and Salmonella be completely absent.
Dehydrated Onion
