This investigation presented presents the drying characteristics, and aimed to predict the drying kinetics of tomato slices (Lycopersicon esculentum MILL.) using convection and microwave methods. Hot air drying was carried out in a ventilated oven at 50, 60, 80, and 100°C temperatures and microwave drying was performed in domestic microwave using 300, 500, 800, and 900 W powers. Twenty‐two mathematical models were undertaken to predict the drying kinetics and the best model was chosen based on the highest R2 values and the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) and χ2 values. Drying kinetics, drying rate variation, diffusivity and energy consumption of both methods were evaluated. Fernando and Amarasinghe model and Sledz model were the best models for convective and microwave drying processes, respectively. Effective moisture diffusivity varied from 0.28 × 10−9 to 2.81 × 10−9 and from 1.32 × 10−9 to 21.52 × 10−9, while the activation energy was 27.64 kJ/mol and 5.71 W/g for convective and microwave drying processes, respectively. The energy consumption increases with increasing temperature or power, the reverse was observed for energy efficiency. Microwave drying process has the advantage of drying time reduction, low‐energy consumption, and high‐drying efficiency at a moderate high‐power level (900 W). Hence, it is recommended to apply this innovative process for drying tomato slices.
This study deals with drying properties and focuses on the drying kinetics of potato peels (PP) by two processes, namely convection drying (CD) at various temperatures (40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 °C) and microwave drying (MD) at different powers (200, 400, 600, and 800 W). In addition, the effectiveness of the adopted processes was evaluated in terms of antioxidant contents and antioxidant capacity. A total of 22 mathematical models were undertaken to predict the drying kinetics, and the best model was selected based on the highest R2 values and the lowest χ2 and RMSE values. The Sledz model was the more appropriate for both methods with values of 0.9995 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.9999, χ2 = 0.0000, and 0.0054 ≤ RMSE ≤ 0.0030 for CD, and the results of MD were 0.9829 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.9997, 0.0000 ≤ χ2 ≤ 0.0010, and 0.0304 ≤ RMSE ≤ 0.0053. The best drying rates (DR) of PP were assigned to a temperature of 120 °C and a power of 600 W with values of 0.05 and 0.20 kg water/kg dw min, respectively. A potential explanation is that as PP’s moisture content decreased during the drying process, there was a drop in absorption, which led to a reduction in the DR. The energy consumption of both processes was assessed, and it rose with increasing temperature or power. The microwave process reduced the drying time, consumed lower energy, and presented a higher drying efficiency at a moderate power level compared to the convection process. Furthermore, MD preserved antioxidants better compared to CD and improved the antioxidant capacity. Therefore, the proposed microwave process for drying PP is suggested for its expected use in various fields, including the food processing industries.
Background and aims: This study, carried out in collaboration with the research and development department of the "Cevital spa" agri-food unit, aimed to incorporate sesame oil into the formulation of two fatty food products: a frying oil and margarine to improve their physicochemical and organoleptic qualities. Methods: The sesame oil was obtained from the sesame seed by cold pressing to preserve its nutritional characteristics. The frying oil was elaborated with a mixture of three oils (sunflower, soybean, and non-roasted sesame). The margarine was enriched with 2 % of roasted sesame and then, the quality of the products was assessed. Gas chromatography (GC-FID) profile indicated that sesame oil is an oleic-linoleic rich oil with saturated fatty acid (SFA) / unsaturated fatty acid (USFA) ratio from of 0.11. Results: The organoleptic tests and physicochemical analyses, including the oil, showed that the resulting recipe is a combined oil rich in n-6 and n-9, offering an interesting ratio of MUFA /PUFA and with a SFA content of 11.49 % for an appropriate utilization in frying and cooking. Enriched margarine showed compliance with the standards set by the Codex Alimentarius and has a characteristic taste, smell and appearance, color and spread ability to the product with a sesame note. Conclusion: The results of the current study support the sesame oil supplementation to conventional frying oil and to commercial margarine. Sesame oil may therefore be an alternative source of fatty acids that could contribute to the diversification of combined oils.
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