Microwave and convective dehydration of ethanol treated and frozen apple – physical properties and drying kinetics

The objective of this study was to examine how the drying kinetics and physical properties of apples are affected by pre-treatment with 95% ethanol or freezing at –18 °C before microwave-assisted air dehydration at 50, 60 and 70 °C. Microwave heating was used to obtain these temperatures in the centre of the apple cubes. After dehydration the shrinkage and rehydration capacity were measured. The texture of dehydrated and rehydrated samples was analysed with a puncture test in a texture analyser. Samples were also analysed with confocal laser scanning microscopy to determine the correlation between physical and microstructural properties. Diffusivity in the different dehydration processes was calculated. Ethanol-treated apples showed both high rehydration and high effective rehydration capacity compared with the other samples. Freezing before dehydration increased the diffusivity and reduced the firmness of rehydrated apples compared with no pre-treatment.     

Effect of puffing conditions on physical properties and rehydration characteristic of instant rice product

The aim of this work was to study the effects of puffing conditions on the properties of instant rice and to obtain optimal processing condition for product with rehydration time within 5 min. Thai jasmine rice was soaked, cooked and dried at 80 °C in a tray dryer before being puffed at different moisture contents (15–20% wb), temperatures (200–220 °C) and time intervals (20–30 s). The rice puffed at higher moisture contents and puffing temperatures for longer time exhibited higher volume expansion ratios and shorter rehydration times. Presumably, case hardening of the grain surface occurred. Instant rice that can be rehydrated in 5 min with more acceptable hardness than the commercial instant rice was obtained. Regression models to predict the quality of instant rice were developed using response surface methodology.     

Foaming and drying behaviour of ripe bananas

The foaming of ripe bananas and the forced air-drying characteristics of the resulting banana foam mats were studied. Fresh banana puree with a density of 0.93 g/ml was foamed to a density of 0.50 g/ml after 12 min of whipping by the addition of 10 g/100 g soy protein as a foam inducer. Glyceryl monostearate did not induce foaming while commercially available food ingredients, Dream Whip and Gelatine induced foaming but such foams were not suitable for subsequent drying. Banana foam mats were dried at temperatures from 45°C to 90°C in a forced air, cabinet dryer, to a hard, porous and brittle solid which was amenable to grinding so as to produce a dehydrated banana powder. The transient drying behaviour of such mats was described by a capillary model of the form ln(M/M₀)=−Kt and over the bulk of the moisture ratio range, 0.05?M/M₀?1.0. The drying time (t) was directly related to the thickness of the foam mats. K values increased from 0.248 to 0.809 h⁻¹ as the drying air temperature was raised from 45°C to 90°C. Increasing the air velocity from 0.62 to 1.03 m/s did not profoundly influence the drying rate.     

Drying of bananas using microwave and air ovens

Drying tests for ripe and green banana (Musa cv. Giant Cavendish AAA) slices and for a foam made from ripe banana puree were performed in a household microwave oven and in a laboratory forced draft warm air oven. Weight change of the banana slices as a function of time in both ovens, and temperature and relative humidity (RH) of air leaving the microwave oven were recorded. Drying rates were calculated and the data fitted to a variable diffusion model. Drying time in the microwave oven was seventeen to twenty times less than in the forced draft oven. The drying energy efficiency in the microwave oven was about 30%.     

冬枣变温压差膨化干燥工艺研究

以冬枣为原料,采用变温压差膨化干燥技术,探讨了预干燥时间、抽空时间、膨化温度、抽空温度、停滞时间和膨化压力对冬枣膨化产品硬度、脆度、色泽和水分含量的影响。结果表明:膨化温度、抽空温度和抽空时间是影响产品膨化质量的关键因素;冬枣预干燥6h后,膨化温度85℃,抽空温度60℃,抽空时间2h为较适合工艺参数;停滞时间和膨化压力差在一定范围内对膨化产品的质量影响不大,实验确定停滞时间15min,膨化压力差0.2MPa为较适合工艺参数。     

Effect of ultrasound on banana cv Pacovan drying kinetics

The aim of this work was to study and to model the drying kinetics of fresh and ultrasonic pretreated banana cv Pacovan using the diffusional model (Fick’s second law) and an empirical two parameters model (Page model). The pretreatment was carried out in an ultrasonic bath at 30 °C. The drying process was carried out in a fixed bed dryer at two different temperatures (50 and 70 °C) and 3.0 m/s air velocity. Page empirical model provided the best simulation of the drying curves. The diffusional model was used to describe the moisture transfer and the effective diffusivities of water were determined and were in the order of 10⁻⁹ m²/s. These diffusivities increased with increasing temperature and with the application of ultrasound, while the process time reduced, which can represent an economy of energy, since air drying is cost intensive.     

葡萄低温气流膨化干燥工艺研究

以葡萄为原料,研究了其低温气流膨化干燥工艺。用单因素试验分析了预干燥含水率、膨化温度、抽空温度、抽空时间、停滞时间和膨化压力差对葡萄低温气流膨化干燥产品的影响。在此基础上,用响应面法对原料预干燥含水率、膨化温度、抽空温度进行了优化,推导出了描述3个指标的二次回归模型。确定了葡萄低温气流膨化干燥工艺条件为:预干燥含水率22.55%,膨化温度为83.45℃,抽空温度为68.38℃,抽空时间120min,停滞时间5min,膨化压力差0.2MPa。     

Characteristics of thin‐layer drying and rehydration of nata de coco

Nata is white gelatinous bacterial cellulose produced by Acetobacter aceti ssp. xylinum through fermentation of coconut water. Drying behaviour of nata de coco was conducted with a hot air dryer for a temperature range of 50–90 °C. The experimental data obtained were fitted into seven empirical and/or semi‐theoretical thin‐layer drying models using nonlinear regression analysis. Results showed that Logarithmic model, Wang and Singh model fitted better than Verma et al. model although all these three models were suitable for predicting the drying process of nata de coco. The rehydration capacity was lost severely when the moisture content of the samples was nearly zero, but it can almost rehydrate to its initial state when the moisture content was above 8%. The drying kinetic properties and rehydration capacity of nata de coco indicated that most of the moisture in nata de coco was free water.     

气流膨化香蕉脆片的工艺初探

以新鲜香蕉为原料 ,采用气流膨化工艺 ,从不同品种、成熟度、预处理方式、温度、压力差、停滞时间等几个方面对香蕉的膨化工艺进行了研究。结果表明 ,不同品种的香蕉膨化效果差异较大 ,福建蕉和广州蕉膨化效果优于海南蕉。在福建蕉的膨化试验中 ,低温预处理膨化效果较好 ;随着成熟度加大 ,膨化效果反而降低 ,以刚脱涩、口感无涩味时膨化效果最佳。最终 ,确定膨化温度 110℃ ,停滞时间 3～ 5min ,膨化时间 4 5min ,压差 10 5kPa是香蕉适宜的膨化条件。     

Process–quality optimization of the vacuum freeze-drying of apple slices by the response surface method

Summary Working pressure (P) and heating plate temperature (T) were considered to be the most important factors affecting the kinetics of the freeze-drying operation for apple slices as well as the criteria of final product quality (appearance/shape, colour, texture, rehydration ratio). Freeze-drying experiments involving a thick layer of slices under different processing conditions were designed according to a central composite rotatable system with two factors (P, T). Results were analysed by response surface methodology (RSM). By superimposing all quality criteria contour plots, the optimum levels of processing conditions yielding the best quality freeze-dried apple slices were determined to be an operating pressure of 50 Pa, and a heating plate temperature of 55 °C. For a product loading of 17 kg m⁻², the freeze-drying time ranged from 48 to 50 h. The experimental values of the freeze-drying time, appearance and colour of freeze-dried apple slices obtained with these optimal conditions were very similar to those predicted by the corresponding second order polynomial model. The rehydration ratio of freeze-dried apples was about 0.55 g g⁻¹ of water removed and the texture loss of rehydrated apples was estimated to be more than 85%.     

The air drying behaviour of fresh and osmotically dehydrated banana slices

Ripe banana, cut to 10mm thick slabs were osmotically treated in sugar solutions of 35, 50 and 65° Brix for 36h. The initial moisture content fell from a value of 3.13kg H₂O DM to 2.19, 1.63 and 1.16kg H₂O kg⁻¹ for treatment in the three solutions, respectively. These slabs, with Total Soluble Solids (TSS) contents of 26, 34 and 39° Brix, respectively, as well as freshly cut but untreated slabs (15° Brix) were air dried in a cabinet type tray drier to near equilibrium conditions at fixed temperatures from 40 to 80°C and at a constant air speed of 0.62m s⁻¹. Drying was found to occur in the falling rate period only for both banana types and two drying constants K₁ and K₂ were established for a first and second falling rate period of drying. Increasing the drying air temperature significantly enhanced the drying rate and the K-values, except at 80°C when the rates fell, possibly because of case hardening of the slabs. Reducing the slab thickness also improved the drying rate, but increasing the air speed to 1.03m s⁻¹ did not have any profound effect. As the sugar content of the banana slabs increased through the osmotic treatment, drying rates fell. Calculated apparent moisture diffusivities at 60°C ranged from 34.8× 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹ (fresh slab) to 8.8×10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹ for dried (39° Brix) slabs. The moisture diffusivity was significantly lowered as the moisture content dropped in drying and with increased levels of sugar. Previously osmosed and then air dried banana slabs showed appealing colour and texture compared to the fresh banana.     

牡蛎冷冻干燥后复水特性及微观结构的研究

研究牡蛎冷冻干燥后的复水特性,将新鲜牡蛎分为直接冻干组(Fresh+FD组)、预煮处理后冻干组(Boiled+FD组)和自然干燥组(Fresh+ND组),考察干燥后牡蛎的干燥比、复水比、复水率和微观结构的差异。结果表明:两冻干组牡蛎的含水量远低于自然干燥组,在常温和沸水中的复水比和复水速率均大于自然干燥组,冷冻干燥更有利于牡蛎中水分的去除和复水;干燥后牡蛎闭壳肌微观形态优劣程度依次为Fresh+FD组>Boiled+FD组>Fresh+ND组,其中Fresh+FD组闭壳肌纤维细长、舒展,间隙均匀,Fresh+ND组闭壳肌纤维束堆叠,组织致密;常温复水80min,两冻干组牡蛎的复重系数和复水率均高于自然干燥组。     

Drying description of cylindrical pieces of bananas in different temperatures using diffusion models

Three diffusion models were used to describe drying of bananas cut into cylindrical pieces. Analytical solutions of the diffusion equation with boundary conditions of the first and third kind were used to describe the process. In the drying experiments using hot air, the cylindrical pieces had the following dimensions: length of about 21 mm and radius of 15 mm, on average. The drying air temperatures were 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C. To determine the process parameters, an optimizer was coupled to the analytical solutions. For the best model, the effective mass diffusivities were 2.53 × 10⁻⁸; 3.12 × 10⁻⁸; 6.19 × 10⁻⁸ and 7.32 × 10⁻⁸ m² min⁻¹, while the convective mass transfer coefficients were 1.93 × 10⁻⁵; 3.04 × 10⁻⁵; 3.18 × 10⁻⁵ and 4.97 × 10⁻⁵ m min⁻¹. The determination coefficients were greater than 0.9990 and the chi-squares were less than 5.3 × 10⁻³ for all simulations of the experiments.     

复水温度对香菇复水特性及品质的影响

香菇是中国产量最高和市场消费量最大的食用菌。干制是香菇的主要加工方式,而干香菇需复水后才能作为原料被烹调或进一步加工。本研究将热风干燥的香菇分别在25,45,65℃和85℃下复水,研究香菇复水过程中复水比、外观、质构和风味品质的变化。结果表明,在45℃复水270 min,干香菇吸水后表面的褶皱较为舒展,微观结构显示其菌丝恢复膨胀且伸展。同时,其复水比稳定保持在3.88,剪切力(1 290.28 g)、弹力(0.66 g)和复原力(0.34 g)适中,咀嚼性(656.02 g)最大,说明香菇复水完全且质地柔软适中,易被切开。此外,45℃复水香菇所含特征含硫化合物的含量较高,以1,2,3,5,6-五硫杂环庚烷(67.02%)和1,2,4-三硫环戊烷(39.06%)为主,风味较浓郁。综上,复水温度显著影响香菇复水后的食用品质,将干香菇在45℃复水270 min可获得品质较好的复水香菇。     

Effect of temperature on chlorophyllase activity, chlorophyll degradation and carotenoids of Cavendish bananas during ripening

Changes in chlorophyllase activity, chlorophyll and carotenoid content of Giant Cavendish banana fruit peel during ripening were measured at tropical temperatures (30–34°C) and at 20°C to relate them to the greenish and yellow colours of the fruit ripened at these temperatures. At 30–34°C bananas remained green on ripening due to incomplete chlorophyll degradation while at 20°C complete degreening occurred and fruits turned yellow. Peel total carotenoid content remained constant during ripening and did not change with temperature. Free xanthophylls decreased while xanthophyll esters increased on ripening. Chlorophyllase activity increased during ripening and paralleled the respiratory climacteric, although activity was not consistently related to the differential degradation of chlorophyll at these temperatures. Exogenous application of ethylene and ethrel accelerated ripening, but had no effect on chlorophyllase levels, chlorophyll degradation and carotenoid content of bananas ripened at either 30–34°C or at 20°C.     

Effect of drying temperature on the quality of dried bananas cv. prata and d’água

The effect of drying temperature (60 and 70 °C) on the chemical characterization, sensorial evaluation and microbiological quality of dried bananas obtained in a forced-air drying chamber under constant air flow rate (30 m³/h) was studied. The results showed that drying did not affect the chemical composition and the products were in good sanitary conditions. The sensorial analysis showed that lower drying temperatures produced better-accepted products and that under these conditions products obtained using the banana cv. d’água showed a superior texture to that of the standard.     

Rehydration Kinetics of High-Pressure Pretreated and Osmotically Dehydrated Pineapple

Rehydration kinetics of high‐pressure pretreated (100, 300, and 500 MPa for 10 min) and osmotically dehydrated pineapple (Ananas comsus) cubes (2 × 2 × 1 cm) were studied at different temperatures (5, 25, and 35°C), and compared with ordinary osmotically dehydrated samples. The effective diffusion coefficients for water and solute were determined, assuming the rehydration process to be governed by Fickian diffusion. Diffusion coefficients for water absorption into the tissue as well as for solute diffusion out of the tissue were found to be lower in the samples subjected to high‐pressure treatment. Further, the diffusion coefficients decreased with increase in treatment pressure. A possible explanation for the observed decrease in diffusion coefficients can be attributed to the permeabilization of cell membranes, the release of cellular components, and structural changes of the cell materials. The diffusion coefficients were correlated with rehydration temperature (T) and treatment pressure (P) by an Eq. of the form D = A exp[–(B.P + C/T)], where A, B, and C are constants.     

Determination of effective moisture diffusivity and assessment of quality attributes of banana slices during drying

The influence of drying temperatures on the moisture diffusivity and quality attributes of the dried banana slices in terms of volatile compound, shrinkage, color, texture and microstructure were studied. Bananas with peel color index of 5 corresponding to yellow color with green tip were sliced into 3 mm thickness, dipped into ascorbic acid solution and dried at four temperatures of 70, 80, 90 and 100 °C. Drying rate of banana slices can be divided into two sub-drying periods, first and second falling rate periods. The effective diffusivity estimated by the optimization technique was found to decrease sharply with moisture content in the first falling rate period and changed slightly in the second falling rate period. High-temperature drying seems to provide lower loss of volatile compounds in the dried sample. Moreover, the dried banana was very porous, resulting in remarkably lower hardness value than that obtained from the low-temperature drying whilst the crispiness was not significantly different amongst the samples obtained at various drying temperatures. Although the textural property could be improved at high temperature, the product color was brown as manifested by the low L- and hue values in particular at the drying temperature of 100 °C.     

不同干燥方法对三七内部结构和复水品质的影响

对比研究真空冷冻干燥、真空干燥和热风干燥对三七内部结构和复水品质的影响。采用微CT技术对干燥样品进行扫描和图像重构,计算干燥样品的孔隙率和复水比,对3种干燥方法所得样品的复水品质进行对比分析。结果表明：3种干燥方法对孔隙率和复水比都有极显著影响(P＜0.01)。从内部结构的保持和复水品质角度来看,真空冷冻干燥优于其他两种干燥方法,较适于工业生产。