INFLUENCE AND OPTIMIZATION OF OPERATING CONDITIONS ON OSMOTIC DEHYDRATION OF PUMPKIN

摘要

Response surface methodology (RSM) is an important tool in process and product improvement.It is a collection of experimental design and optimization techniques that enables the experimenter to determine the relationship between the response and the independent variables. Therefore, mass transfer kinetics are investigated during osmotic dehydration of pumpkin slices using response surface methodology with salts concentration (5% -25%, w/v), temperature of salts solution (30℃– 70℃) and process time (30-150 minutes) as the independent process variables and presented in this paper.Result shows that all factors have significant effects on both water loss and solute gain.Solution concentration being the most influential factor followed by process time and temperature.Optimum conditions that yield maximum water loss and minimum solute gain is determined to be: 65.8℃, 25% salts concentration and 63 minutes process time.