Jincai Sun

Spray Drying and Agglomeration of Instant Bayberry Powder

Optimum technology of spray-dried bayberry powder was studied using D-optimal experimental design. The operating conditions were varied within the following ranges: inlet air temperature 140–160°C, outlet air temperature 65–85°C, maltodextrin DE values 12 and 19, and feed concentrations of 7–17°B. The spray-dried bayberry powder was analyzed for moisture content and color. Moisture content of spray-dried powder was determined mainly by the inlet and outlet air temperatures, DE value, and the feed concentration. The inlet and outlet temperature had important effects on powder color. Finally, instant bayberry powder for beverages was produced by agglomeration of the spray-dried product.

Microwave Freeze–Drying Characteristics and Sensory Quality of Instant Vegetable Soup

Instant vegetable soup mix was dehydrated in a microwave freeze dryer to study the drying characteristics and sensory properties of the dried product. The mix was dried at different microwave power levels, material thicknesses, and material loads. As expected, microwave power significantly influenced the total drying time and sensory quality of the final product. The total drying time increased with the increase of material thickness and load. A material layer that is too thin causes the product quality to deteriorate.

Optimization of Osmotic Dehydration of Kiwifruit

Mass transfer rates were quantitatively investigated during osmotic dehydration of kiwifruit slices using response surface methodology with the sucrose concentration (20–80%, w/w), temperature of sucrose solution (15–75°C), osmotic time (60–420 min), and slice thickness (2–10 mm) as the independent process variables. Quadratic regression equations are obtained to describe the effects of independent process variables on the water loss (WL), sucrose gain (SG), and ascorbic acid loss (AAL). It was found that all factors had significant effect on the WL during osmotic dehydration of kiwifruit. Effects of temperature, time, and slice thickness were more pronounced on SG than the effect of concentration of sucrose solution. The osmotic solution temperature was the most significant factor affecting the AAL, followed by slice thickness and duration of treatment. The optimal conditions for osmotic dehydration were: 60% sucrose concentration, 30–40°C osmotic temperature, 150 min osmotic time, and 8 mm slice thickness.

Characteristics of Microwave Drying of Bighead Carp

Abstract The characteristics of microwave drying (MD) and combined air-microwave drying (AMD) of bighead carp muscle were studied experimentally. The results show that the moisture ratio (MR) decreases with an increase in microwave drying time when microwave (MW) power is fixed. The drying rate is fast initially and then falls slowly. Finally, the curve of AMD was steeper than that of MD alone during the initial period of 0–120 seconds. The equation MR = a exp (−kt) fitted the data better than other models.

Study of the optimisation of puffing characteristics of potato cubes by spouted bed drying enhanced with microwave

BACKGROUND In commercial deep-fat frying of potato chips, the oil content of the final products ranges from 35 to 45 g 100 g(-1) (wet basis). High-temperature frying may cause the formation of acrylamide, making the products unhealthy to the consumer. The aim of this research was to explore a new method, spouted bed microwave drying, to produce healthier puffed snack potato cubes as possible alternatives to oil-fried potato chips. The influence of drying conditions of the spouted bed microwave drying on puffing characteristics of potato cubes were studied and compared with the direct microwave and hot air drying method. RESULTS Tandem combination drying of microwave-enhanced spouted bed drying (MWSB) could achieve a good expansion ratio, breaking force and rehydration ratio. The puffing characteristics of potato cubes were significantly affected (P < 0.05) by moisture content before starting microwave power in spouted bed microwave drying, by microwave (MW) power, and by the original size of potato cubes. CONCLUSION The optimum processing parameters were the moisture content at the start of microwave power (60%), the size of potato cubes (10-12 mm), and microwave power (2-2.5 W g(-1))

Effect of Power Ultrasound Pretreatment on Edamame Prior to Freeze Drying

Immersion freezing with the aid of power ultrasound prior to freeze drying of edamame was investigated. The effect of power ultrasound on the freezing rate was influenced by ultrasonic power, exposure time to ultrasound field, and the pulse duration of the ultrasound that was applied. The higher the ultrasound power and the longer the exposure time, the stronger the ultrasonication effect on edamame was. However, the ultrasound power, ultrasound intermittency, and exposure time need to be chosen with consideration of the thermal effect of ultrasound. Response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted for optimization. The hardness and the water-holding capacity of edamame after thawing were 6050 g and 92%, respectively, when 58-W ultrasound power was applied for 0.7 min, 50% pulsed at the coolant temperature of − 20°C.

Physico-Chemical Properties of Cabbage Powder as Affected by Drying Methods

Cabbage samples were processed by air drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying and then micronized to various particle sizes. It was observed that the drying method used has a significant effect on vitamin C content, color retention, and bulk density of the dried product. Freeze-dried product had higher vitamin C, good color retention, and better retained shape.

Recent Developments in High-Quality Drying with Energy-Saving Characteristic for Fresh Foods

Combined drying technique can merge the advantages of various drying methods and minimize the limitations of single drying methods, which have the potential to develop an efficient and economical, and high-quality modular dryer for perishable fresh foods. This article reviews evaluation of food high-quality drying and examples of energy-saving techniques in drying technology, then focuses on some novel combined drying technologies with energy-saving characteristics recently developed for dehydration of fresh foods, which include infrared-, microwave-, and radio frequency–related combined drying techniques. Recommendations are also made for future research and development.

Performance Evaluation of Vacuum Microwave Drying of Edamame in Deep-Bed Drying

The experiments of vacuum-microwave (VMW) drying on edamames in a deep bed was investigated and compared in terms of drying rate, final moisture content, and quality of dried products among the different heights of edamame in a deep bed. The results have shown that there was a moisture gradient from the top to the bottom of the bed during the vacuum-microwave drying processing, and the greater depth of the bed, the larger the moisture gradient of the bed. Therefore, it can affect the uniformity and the quality of dried products.

Optimization of Potato Cube Drying in a Microwave-Assisted Pulsed Spouted Bed

The drying homogeneity of the microwave–pulsed spouted bed drying (MPSBD) method was studied via preparing tubers granules by MPSBD under different predefined conditions. The effects of three parameters (microwave power, moisture content transition point, and loading) on the homogeneity of prepared tubers granules were studied. Based on response surface analysis results, it was concluded that the optimum conditions for tuber granules prepared by MPSBD method is 1.10 W/g microwave power, 80% moisture content transition point, and 90 g material loading. It was proven that the experimental result from the predicted optimal condition agreed with the model-predicted results, which evidenced the accuracy of the response surface analysis. Furthermore, the brighter color and higher rehydration capacity of samples prepared by MPSBD indicates that MPSBD is a promising method that can be applied in the food dehydration industry.