88E-29 |
Kinetics of uptake of sorbitol and salt in diced pepper tissue using vacuum infusion |
A. QUINTERO-RAMOS1, R. Quintero-Chávez1, R. Márquez-Meléndez1, B. Rodríguez-Terrazas1, J. Zazueta-Morales2, J. Barnard3, and J. Jiménez-Castro1. (1) Division de Estudios de Posgrado, Univ. Autónoma de Chihuahua, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Ciudad Universitaria S/N, Chihuahua, 31170, Mexico, (2) Division de Estudios de Posgrado, Univ. Autónoma de Sinaloa, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Ciudad Universitaria S/N, Culiacan, 80000, Mexico, (3) Dept. of Food Science & Technology, Cornell Univ., W. North St., NYSAES, Geneva, NY 14456 The diffusion of solutes from solution into vegetables tissue is technologically important since processes such as drying, freezing and canning depend of pre-treatment of food material to improve the quality of the final product. The objective of this study was to evaluate the absorption of sorbitol and salt in pepper dices at different concentrations of both solutes, together with vacuum pressure, by developing models describing the uptake of these solutes under different conditions. Sorbitol and salt absorption in diced pepper was evaluated by immersion in sorbitol solution (7, 24, 41° Brix) and salt solution (3, 4 and 11 »w/v) at 30.4, 335 and 640 mm Hg of vacuum pressure, for immersion times of 6 to 60 min. A completely random design with an orthogonal array of 3x3x2 treatments was used. Dices of green peppers (1 cm square) were placed into solutions containing salt and sorbitol for specified times and temperatures. Solid gain and salt uptake were measured. Kinetic uptake of solute for both sorbitol and salt showed an increasing trend with concentration and vacuum pressure, up to an asymptotic level. A linear inverse polynomial model with intercept different of zero adequately fitted the kinetics for both solutes (p£0.05). The best conditions for uptake of sorbitol and salt were 30.4 mmHg of vacuum pressure and 12 minutes of immersion. The empirical model fitted for sorbitol and salt can be used for establishment pretreatments in the food industry.
Session 88E, Fruit & Vegetable Products: Processing
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