Filiz Icier

A Review of Thin Layer Drying of Foods: Theory, Modeling, and Experimental Results

Drying is a complicated process with simultaneous heat and mass transfer, and food drying is especially very complex because of the differential structure of products. In practice, a food dryer is considerably more complex than a device that merely removes moisture, and effective models are necessary for process design, optimization, energy integration, and control. Although modeling studies in food drying are important, there is no theoretical model which neither is practical nor can it unify the calculations. Therefore the experimental studies prevent their importance in drying and thin layer drying equations are important tools in mathematical modeling of food drying. They are practical and give sufficiently good results. In this study first, the theory of drying was given briefly. Next, general modeling approaches for food drying were explained. Then, commonly used or newly developed thin layer drying equations were shown, and determination of the appropriate model was explained. Afterwards, effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy calculations were expressed. Finally, experimental studies conducted in the last 10 years were reviewed, tabulated, and discussed. It is expected that this comprehensive study will be beneficial to those involved or interested in modeling, design, optimization, and analysis of food drying.

Optimization of Drying of Olive Leaves in a Pilot-Scale Heat Pump Dryer

Recently, the interest in olive leaf has increased due to its high phenolic content. It has a high potential for industrial exploitation in food industry and the main process in olive leaf treatment is drying. Drying affects the product quality and is an energy-intensive process, so the use of heat pumps in drying processes that have low operating cost has attracted the attention of the investigators. In this study, response surface methodology was used to optimize operating conditions of drying of olive leaves in a pilot-scale heat pump conveyor dryer. The independent variables were air temperature, air velocity, and process time, and the responses were total phenolic content and antioxidant activity loss, final moisture content, and exergetic efficiency. Optimum operating conditions were found to be temperature of 53.43°C, air velocity of 0.64 m/s, process time of 288.32 min. At this optimum point, total phenolic content loss, total antioxidant activity loss, final moisture content, and exergetic efficiency were found to be 9.77%, 44.25%, 6.0% (w.b.), and 69.55%, respectively.

The importance and potential uses of olive leaves.

Since phenolic compounds have been known as strong antioxidants, studies on olive leaves have attracted the investigators due to the richness of phenolic compounds in olive leaves. Recently, olive leaves are used in medicine, cosmetics, and in pharmaceutical products. It has a high potential for industrial exploitation in the food industry. In this study, the importance of olive leaves is briefly given, the composition of olive leaves, main phenolics in olive leaves and their health effects are described. Studies conducted on technological usage of olive leaves are reviewed. The future of olive leaves for the food industry is discussed. It is expected that this study will be beneficial to academic and industrial researchers interested in antioxidants, food additives, functional foods, and olive leaves.

Ohmic and Conventional Heating of Pomegranate Juice: Effects on Rheology, Color, and Total Phenolics

Ohmic heating is an alternative fast-heating method especially for liquid foods. In this study, pomegranate juice samples, prepared by two different extraction methods, were heated ohmically by matching the same thermal history, with that of the conventional method. The ohmic heating application was conducted by changing the voltage gradient (10—40 V/cm) at 50 Hz. The samples were heated from 20 ° C to 90°C and held at 90 °C for different treatment times (0, 3, 6, 9 or 12 min). Although rheological properties, color, and total phenolic content (TPC) values changed at the initial heating up period, there were no significant changes during holding period (p < 0.05). Non-Newtonian (power law) rheology model had higher regression coefficient than Newtonian model, and the extraction method affected the consistency of pomegranate juice samples (p < 0.05). Color values of juice extracted from arils (APJ) was better than that of juice extracted from whole fruits (PPJ), as PPJ contained higher amount of TPC (p < 0.05). Since the heating method did not affect the rheological properties, color, and TPC values, it could be said that there was no electrical effect rather than thermal effects during ohmic heating of pomegranate juice. Ohmic heating could be recommended as an alternative fast-heating method for fruit juices.

A Comparative Study on Exergetic Performance Assessment for Drying of Broccoli Florets in Three Different Drying Systems

This article deals with the exergy analysis and evaluation of broccoli in three different drying systems. The effects of drying air temperature on the exergy destruction, exergy efficiency, and exergetic improvement potential of the drying process were investigated. The exergy destruction rate for the drying chamber increased with the rise in the drying air temperature at 1.5 m/s, both in the tray and the heat pump dryer. The highest exergy efficiency value was obtained as 90.86% in the fluid bed dryer in comparison to the other two drying systems and the improvement potential rate was the highest in the heat pump dryer during drying of broccoli at the drying air temperature of 45°C and the drying air velocity of 1.0 m/s.

Effect of ohmic treatment on quality characteristic of meat: A review

Ohmic cooking, a well-known electro-heating technique, provides an alternative method for cooking meat products due to its ability for rapid heat generation. Ohmic heating uses the resistance of meat products to convert the electric energy into heat. The rate of heat generation depends on the voltage gradient applied and the electrical conductivity of the meat product. The advantages of ohmic cooking over conventional heating include shorter processing times, higher yields, and less power consumption while still maintaining the colour and nutritional value of meat products. In recent years, ohmic cooking has increasingly drawn interest from the meat industry as a method to ensure the quality and the safety of meat products. The present paper reviews the effects of ohmic cooking on the physical, chemical, sensory, and microbiological quality characteristics and toxicological properties of meat and meat products.

Dielectrical properties of food materials--1: factors affecting and industrial uses.

The electrical properties of foods and biological products have been the most valuable factors in the novel food technology. They have been defined both from electromagnetic field concepts and from the electrical-circuit point of view. Recently, these properties are used to assess the characterization of the processes based on electrical methods: electromagnetic, electro-processes. This article is a review of dielectrical properties of food materials. It also includes factors affecting the dielectrical properties of foods and their industrial uses.

Dielectrical Properties of Food Materials—2: Measurement Techniques

The knowledge of the electrical properties of the materials to be processed or measured is important in the design of the equipment. Dielectric properties determine the behavior of the materials, when subjected to high frequency or microwave fields in dielectric heating processes or cooking. This article is a review of the measurement techniques of the dielectrical properties of food materials. This study also includes the classification of electrical properties and their importance in food processing.

Exergoeconomic analysis of plum drying in a heat pump conveyor dryer.

In this study, plum slices were dried in a heat pump dryer designed and constructed in Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. Drying experiments were carried out at an air temperature range of 45–55°C. The performance of the dryer along with its main components were evaluated using an exergy analysis method. Exergy destruction and capital cost rates were used for the exergoeconomic analysis, which is based on the quantities exergy, cost, energy, and mass (EXCEM) method. Exergy destruction rates to capital cost values R ex were obtained to vary between 1.668 and 2.063 W/USD at different drying air temperatures. R en values were observed to range from 6.258 to 5.749 W/USD. R en values decreased as the drying air temperature increased, contrary to R ex values. and values increased linearly with increasing temperature due to the loss, whereas decreased due to the relatively higher energy utilization efficiency of the heat pump. In the compressor, and values decreased with the increase in the temperature contrary to the other components. had the lowest value in the drying duct. However, in the compressor, expansion valve, and heat recovery, values were found to be higher and should be improved in these units.

An exergetic performance assessment of three different food driers

Abstract In this study, plum slices were dried in three different driers (tray, fluid bed, and heat pump (HP) driers). Drying experiments were carried out at an air temperature range of 45-55 °C with an air velocity of 1.5 m/s. The performance of the driers along with their main components was evaluated and compared by using the exergy analysis method. The most important component for improving the system efficiency was determined to be the fan—heater combination for both the tray and fluid bed driers, and the motor—compressor assembly for the HP drier. The exergy loss and flow diagram (the so-called Grassmann diagram) of the driers was also presented to give quantitative information regarding the proportion of the exergy input dissipated in the various system components. Effects of the drying air temperature on the performance of the drying process were discussed. The highest exergetic efficiency values were obtained to range from 72.72 to 75.66 per cent for the HP drier, followed by the tray and fluid bed driers varying between 37.94 and 39.46 per cent, and between 22.83 and 24.07 per cent, respectively.