Question

Assertion A: Blanching is recommended pretreatment for dehydration of vegetables.
Reason R: Hot water affects polyphenol oxidase.
In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

• A. Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A
• B. Both A and R are correct but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
• C. A is correct but R is not correct
• D. A is not correct but R is correct

Hint:

Blanching inactivates enzymes like polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, etc.
The main purpose is to prevent quality loss during storage and dehydration.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Blanching is a heat treatment process used in food processing.
It involves heating vegetables to inactivate enzymes.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
No specific formula.
Need to understand the purpose of blanching.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Blanching is recommended as a pretreatment for dehydration of vegetables.
This is because it inactivates enzymes that cause quality deterioration.
One such enzyme is polyphenol oxidase, which causes browning.
Hot water is indeed used in blanching and affects polyphenol oxidase.
However, the reason for blanching is to inactivate all enzymes, not just polyphenol oxidase.
Thus, both A and R are correct, but R is not the complete explanation of A.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Both A and R are correct, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
Hence, the correct option is (B).