Mathematical Modeling, Moisture Diffusion and Color Quality in Intermittent Microwave Drying of Organic and Conventional Sweet Red Peppers

Abstract

The aims of this research were to evaluate the influence of intermittent microwave drying on the moisture diffusion and color qualities of organically and conventionally grown sweet red peppers and mathematically express drying kinetic data. Pepper samples of 150 g were dried at 150, 300 and 450 W using a microwave oven. Results showed that intermittent microwave drying at 450 W occurred mainly in the falling rate period, whereas drying at lower powers resulted in relatively longer constant rate periods for both peppers types. The Midilli model provided the best fit for all data. The moisture diffusivity (Deff) values of organic and conventional samples ranged from 59.69 × 10−10 to 182.01 × 10−10 m2s−1 and from 59.11 × 10−10 to 181.01 × 10−10 m2s−1, respectively, and the difference was insignificant. The pre-exponential factor for the Arrhenius equation (D0) and activation energy (Ea) values were almost identical for both product types. Overall, organic or conventional growing did not alter the structural features related to the heat transfer properties. Intermittent microwave drying at 150 and 300 W for organic peppers and 150 W for conventional peppers gave the highest ΔL*, Δa* and a*/b* values, producing the most bright and red pepper powders. Thus, these treatments can be used to produce higher color quality powders.

A Comprehensive Review of Mathematical Modeling for Drying Processes of Fruits and Vegetables

“…Future research on organic foods in comparison to conventional products is required due to the growing demand for organic products [ 70 ]…”

“…Recommendations for Future Research. The enhancements of some models could be done in the upcoming years: (i) 3D modeling of fruits and vegetables (ii) Give emphasize on microscale modeling and multiscale modeling (iii) Optimization of the process conditions (iv) Future research in the food drying model would consider new approaches such as multiphase models at the cellular level, multiphase multiscale models, transport models considering intracellular, and intercellular water separately [26] (v) The application of deep learning and neurofuzzy system-based models in food processing research [62] (vi) Future research on organic foods in comparison to conventional products is required due to the growing demand for organic products [70] As a consequence, it is needed to establish a relationship between process conditions, food structure, and product quality by researchers and specialists from different fields using their knowledge and resources.…”

Effect of intermittent microwave drying on nutritional quality and drying characteristics of persimmon slices

“…Therefore, IMD can maximize the use of microwave energy, maintain the quality of dried products and reduce thermal damage. It has been widely used in the drying of fruits (Polat et al, 2019;Tepe & Tepe, 2020), vegetables (Zhang et al, 2015;Arslan et al, 2020), meat (He et al, 2019), and other agricultural products. However, there are few studies on the drying characteristics and nutritional quality of Gongcheng…”

Investigation of Changes of Organic Crops Production in Turkey

“…in nature. Conventional farming generally refers to a mode of production in which agrochemical practices are applied intensively (Kaya, 2021b), including the cultivation of genetically modified high yielding crops varieties (Arslan et al, 2020). In conventional farming, chemical inputs are used regardless of whether they are certified based on products and after the application, these crops are harvested and marketed without waiting for the pesticide and chemical ingredients to leave the products (Keskin et al, 2021).…”