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1988
Conference Paper
Titel
Optimizing drying conditions of plant materials with product specific and process dependet indicator compounds
Abstract
The optimization of the quality of dried vegetable food is dependent on the control of drying parameters. The shelf life and the organoleptic properties of the products can be optimized by minimizing the formation of indicator compounds. Indicator compounds to optimize the drying of plant products are Amadori-Compounds. Besides the description of possibilities for a continuous registration of Amadori-Compounds during the drying of carrots results are given from experiments in laboratory and in a pilot plant which are received by variation of processing parameters. For the continuous registration of the indicator compounds two possibilities are described. First is the calculation by a kinetic term and the aid of a continuous measurement of product moisture with near infrared spectroscopy. The influence of process parameters on the amount of the indicator compounds are received from drying experiments with different temperatures, moistures and speeds of the drying air and also by variati on of the layers of bulk material. With increasing temperature and speed and decreasing moisture of the drying air the amount of the indicator compounds increases. With higher layers of the bulk ware there appears a gradient of the indicator compounds over the height of the bulk material. An example for optimizing the drying process by minimizing the amount of Amadori-Compounds is given.