Optimisation of mass transfer kinetics during osmotic dehydration of pork meat cubes in complex osmotic solution

Abstract

This paper presents the effects of different process temperature (20, 35 and 50 ?C), immersion time (1, 3 and 5 hours) and the concentration of sugar beet molasses + NaCl + sucrose water solution on osmotic dehydration of pork meat (M. triceps brachii) cubes, shaped 1 x 1 x 1 cm, at atmospheric pressure. The main objective was to examine the influence of different parameters on the mass transfer kinetics during osmotic treatment. The observed system?s responses were: water loss, solid gain, and water activity. The optimum osmotic conditions (temperature of 40 ?C, treatment time of 4.1 h and concentration 67 %), were determined using response surface method, by superimposing the contour plots of each process variable, and the responses were: water loss=0.46, solid gain=0.15, and water activity=0.79. Transport coefficients, for both solids and water transfer and energy of activation for all samples were also determined.