Mathematical Modelling of the Thin Layer Drying of Banana Blossoms

Abstract

Journal of Nutritional Health & Food Engineeringhas been performed on the drying of banana blossoms.The objectives of this research are to:• Determine the effect of air temperature on drying time of banana blossoms• Fit the drying curves with ten mathematical models and investigate the goodness of fit• Calculate effective diffusivity and activation energy for the blossoms• Analyze the properties of the blossoms before and after the drying process Materials and Methods Drying experimentsFreshly harvested banana blossoms were procured from the local market in Perundurai. They were washed thoroughly in running cold water to remove adhering extraneous matter. The purple petals and the stamen were removed. From each clusters of flowers, the yellow tipped fronds that are responsible for the bitter flavor were separated manually. The edible portion was then washed in water and chopped into small pieces of length 1 cm. To prevent enzymatic browning and to remove the characteristic bitter and starchy flavor the blossoms were soaked in buttermilk. They were soaked in 500 ml of buttermilk for about 15 minutes. After pre-treatment the flowers were dehydrated using a traydryer. Blossoms of 500-1000 g were taken for dry drying and spread over perforated aluminum trays and trays were kept in the drying chamber. Initial moisture content was determined by the standard AOAC method [12]. The initial moisture content was found to be 87.3% (w.b.). Drying experiments were carried IntroductionBanana blossom, an agricultural by-product, is obtained from the subtropical Musa species originating from India. It is being consumed as a vegetable in the Asian countries like India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. It has been appreciated for its nutritional content in dietary fibers, proteins, fatty acids, vitamin E, flavonoids and minerals such as magnesium, iron and copper [1]. At ambient temperatures, the blossoms bloom continuously and drop the petals. At high temperatures the flowers start rotting and chilling turns the white heart of the flowers into black. Moreover, in spite of its high fiber content blossom consumption may be restricted due to the cumbersome preparation procedures. Convenience in preparation, promotion of the intake of fiber rich vegetables and increase in shelf life can be achieved by developing a preserved product from the banana blossom.Drying is one of the techniques to develop a shelf stable and high quality products. The removal of moisture in the drying process prevents the growth of microorganisms and other deteriorative reactions. Drying induces a considerable reduction in weight and volume, minimizes packing, storage and transportation costs and as well as enables the product to be stored under ambient conditions [2]. Sun drying is one of the traditional methods used to preserve agricultural commodities in the tropical and sub tropical regions. However, hot air dry drying is the most widely used industrial method due to its uniform and rapid drying process [3]. AbstractIn this study, the ...

Process and product characteristics of refractance window dried Curcuma longa

“…The activation energy determined from Arrhenius plots (not shown) varied between 52.57 and 49.43 kJ/mol for a mylar film thickness variation from 125 to 350 µm. These values are found to be in agreement with the value range provided for various food materials (12 to 110 kJ/mol) (John et al., 2014).…”

Exploring effects of different pretreatments on drying kinetics, moisture diffusion, physico‐functional, and flow properties of banana flower powder

“…John et al. (2014) reported the moisture diffusivity for the banana flower to be in the range of 5.45 × 10 –9 to 8.09 × 10 −9 m 2 /s for dried at temperatures of 40 to 60°C. The variations in results maybe because of the moisture content of the sample at the initial stage, size in addition to the pretreatment methods, drying temperature, and drying equipment.…”

Microwave drying of banana blossoms ( Musa acuminata ): Mathematical modeling and drying energetics

“…This drying process is timeconsuming, needs a deal of care, and thus is not practicable. Tray drying is a frequently used drying technique for banana blossoms; however, the tray drying method also has disadvantages of both the longer drying time required and produce a poor quality product (John et al, 2014;Veeramanipriya et al, 2019;Wickramarachchi & Ranamukhaarachchi, 2005). In the present scenario, food industries are in search of a drying technique that is speedy, more consistent, energy-efficient, and yields hygienic and safe food products; on that note, microwave drying can be an alternative in place of conventional drying methods.…”