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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Healthy Processed Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #250102

Title: Heat and Mass Transfer Modeling of Apple Slice under Simultaneous Infrared Dry-Blanching and Dehydration Process

Author
item LIN, YALING - CHINESE ACADEMY OF AGRICULTURE & MECHANICAL SCIENCES
item LI, SHUJUN - CHINESE ACADEMY OF AGRICULTURE & MECHANICAL SCIENCES
item ZHU, YI - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
item BINGOL, GOKHAN
item PAN, ZHONGLI
item McHugh, Tara

Submitted to: Drying Technology: An International Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2009
Publication Date: 9/15/2009
Citation: Lin, Y., Li, S., Zhu, Y., Bingol, G., Pan, Z., Mc Hugh, T.H. 2009. Heat and Mass Transfer Modeling of Apple Slice under Simultaneous Infrared Dry-Blanching and Dehydration Process. Drying Technology. 27:1051-1059.

Interpretive Summary: This research developed heat and mass transfer models for predicting the temperature, moisture and enzyme inactivation of apple slices under simultaneous IR dry blanching and dehydration. The models can be used for optimization of the blanching and dehydration process.

Technical Abstract: To develop a new simultaneous infrared dry blanching and dehydration process for producing high-quality blanched and partially dehydrated products, apple slices with three different thicknesses, 5, 9, and 13 mm, were heated using infrared for up to 10 min at 4000W/m2 IR intensity. The surface and center temperatures, moisture change, and enzymatic activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) of apple slices were determined. The models of heat and mass transfer and enzyme inactivation were developed for predicting the blanching and dehydration performance. In the model development, the apple slices were assumed as one dimensional with heat and mass transfer only occurring in one direction. The enzyme inactivation followed first-order kinetics. The models were solved using a finite element method. The predicted temperature and moisture profiles and inactivation rate of enzymes were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. This indicated that the process of simultaneous dry blanching and dehydration of apple slices under IR heating can be predicted with the developed models.