Method for producing stable Actinidia deliciosa powder with high level bioactive actinidin enzyme

A method for producing stable and bioavailable Actinidia deliciosa powder from kiwifruit, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming a minced kiwifruit pulp by mincing the kiwifruit pulp at a temperature of less than −18° C.;
• b) freeze-drying the minced kiwifruit pulp by
• i) a freezing step comprising blast freezing the minced kiwifruit pulp to a temperature of less than −30° C. in a period of less than 3 hours;
• and
• ii) a drying step comprising drying the minced kiwifruit pulp to form dried pulp in
• a first stage at 30° C. for 60 minutes, a second stage at 50° C. for 250 minutes, a third stage at 60° C. for 580 minutes, a fourth stage at 50° C. for 1320 minutes, a fifth stage at 40° C. for 640 minutes, and a sixth stage at 30° C. for 30 minutes;
• or
• a first stage at 30° C. for 55 minutes, a second stage at 40° C. for 80 minutes, a third stage at 50° C. for 2260 minutes, a fourth stage at 40° C. for 455 minutes, and a fifth stage at 30° C. for 30 minutes;
• wherein the dried pulp has an enzyme activity of at least 150,000 AU/g;
• c) separately freeze-drying kiwifruit skin to form a dried skin that has a water activity of less than 0.2 or a moisture level of less than 1%;
• d) measuring insoluble fiber content of the dried pulp and the dried skin;
• and
• e) forming a blend by blending the dried skin and dried pulp by adding the dried skin to the dried pulp in an amount to obtain an insoluble fiber content of 10-15% in the blend.