Process Modelling and Optimization of Osmotic Assisted Drying of Red Bell Pepper
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Date
2017
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Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria
Abstract
Osmotic dehydration (pretreatment) of red bell pepper in hypertonic salt (NaCl) solution and drying was studied. A 4 x 4 x 4 factorial experiment in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) for the pretreatment and pretreated samples later were dried in a fabricated laboratory dryer. Process variables considered were four levels of osmotic process duration (30, 60, 90 and 120 min), osmotic solution concentrations (5, 10, 15 and 20% w/w of sodium chloride) and osmotic solution temperature (30, 40, 50 and 60 deg. C) with each trial conducted in triplicated while a drying temperature of 60 deg.C was used throughout the experiment. Drying rate was estimated for all test runs while vitamin C, vitamin A, ash content, water loss and solid gain were estimated as quality parameters. Model equations were developed with Essential Regression (ESSREG) software package which related output parameters to process variables and validated. Results gave optimum drying rate (maximized), vitamin C (maximized), vitamin A (maximized), water loss (maximized), solid gain (maximized) and ash content (minimized) of 4.6 g/h, 152.82 mg/100g, 1.42 mg/100g, 0.24 g/g, 0.91 g/g and 8.04% respectively.
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Osmotic dehydration, drying, optimization