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Mass Transfer Behavior of Plant Tissues During Osmotic Dehydration

Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 Canada

J. Shi

Food Research Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, Ontario N1G 5C9, Canada, shij{at}agr.gc.ca

C. Fernandez

Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 Canada

Biological structures and behavior of biomaterials are difficult to describe in quantitative terms. In a process such as osmotic dehydration of plant tissues, these complex structures pose a challenging factor in the optimization process and design of equipment. The structure and properties of the tissues affect the mass transfer phenomena occurring in plant tissues during osmotic dehydration. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to classify the mass transfer behavior of different plant materials during osmotic dehydration. The method of classification was based on the description of the material behavior according to easily measurable parameters. These parameters were water loss and solids gain. By fitting an inverse polynomial model to the kinetics data, rates and fluxes of mass transfer were calculated. Two methods of classification were developed based on the rates and fluxes of mass transfer. The method based on fluxes accommodated for the different geometries of the samples. The two methods were combined to calculate the value of, which is the ratio of the bulk flow transport to diffusion transport at the interface of the solution at time 0. The seven kinds of fresh fruit materials that were analyzed were divided into three classes. Their mass transfer behaviors were then described in quantitative terms as either "fast", "average" or "slow". These methods of classification have provided description of the behavior of various plant tissues during osmotic dehydration.

Key Words: plant tissues • osmotic dehydration • mass transfer • water loss • solids gain • fluxes

Food Science and Technology International, Vol. 9, No. 3, 187-192 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/1082013203035392


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