scholarly journals Influence of Freezing Parameters on the Formation of Internal Porous Structure and Its Impact on Freeze-Drying Kinetics

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1273
Author(s):  
Patrick Levin ◽  
Vincent Meunier ◽  
Ulrich Kessler ◽  
Stefan Heinrich

The main objective of this study was firstly to investigate the influence of freezing process parameters on the formation of the internal structure of frozen coffee granules. It was investigated how these frozen internal structures affect the drying kinetics during freeze-drying. A design of experiment study was carried out using the response surface method to quantify the influence of the freezing step that occurs in a scraped surface heat exchanger (SSHE). Therefore, the coffee extract at a concentration of 30% w/w is entering the SSHE as a liquid and gets partially crystallized up to a weight-based ice content of 0.364. During this step, the influence of factors like cooling temperature, scraper rotation speed and temperature cycles on ice crystal structure was investigated. In a second freezing step, the influence of freezing rates during hardening of the product by air-blast freezing is investigated, where the freezing rate is significantly affected by the cake thickness. The produced frozen granules were freeze-dried in single layer experiments. During drying the influence of internal structure on the drying kinetics was investigated. Results show that all factors have a significant impact on structure parameters for 30% w/w coffee solutions. A lower degree of supercooling during freezing in an SSHE, a higher number of temperature cycles (2 to 8 times) and lower freezing rates during hardening (2 °C/min to 10 °C/min) were leading to increased crystal size. This increase accelerates the primary drying rate and decreases the total drying time. A higher number of temperature cycles leads to a significant increase of crystal size and therefore larger pore size at the end of the primary drying. Furthermore, in combination with temperature cycles in the SSHE, it was found that high freezing rates during air blast freezing generally lead to a second nucleation step of ice crystals.

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 226
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Rybak ◽  
Artur Wiktor ◽  
Dorota Witrowa-Rajchert ◽  
Oleksii Parniakov ◽  
Małgorzata Nowacka

It has been demonstrated previously in the literature that utilization of PEF or a combination of a pulsed electric field (PEF) and ultrasounds (US) can facilitate dehydration processes and improve the quality of dried products even better than the application of thermal methods such as blanching. The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of red bell pepper subjected to freeze-drying preceded by blanching or PEF or US treatment applied in a single and combined mode. Furthermore, the freeze-drying was preceded by shock freezing or vacuum freezing performed inside the freeze-dryer as a result of pressure drop during the first stage of freeze-drying. All of the analyzed technological variants enhanced the drying kinetics when compared to the intact material. Freeze-dried bell pepper subjected to non-thermal pretreatment exhibited higher vitamin C, total phenolic and carotenoids content than blanched material despite the fact that blanching reduced drying time the most compared to all other analyzed methods.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-ou Wang ◽  
Qing-quan Fu ◽  
Shou-jiang Chen ◽  
Zhi-chao Hu ◽  
Huan-xiong Xie

The effect of hot-water blanching (HWB) on drying characteristics and product qualities of dried apple slices with the novel integrated freeze-drying (NIFD) process was investigated by comparing with 3 different FD methods. Compared with the NIFD process without HWB pretreatment (VF-FD), the NIFD process with HWB pretreatment (HWB-VF-FD) resulted in a significantly higher mass loss and more sufficient freezing in vacuum-frozen samples, significantly higher rehydration ratio (RR), higher shrinkage ratio (SR), smaller Vitamin C (VC) content and lower hardness and better apparent shape in freeze-dried samples, and fewer change to the color of the dried or rehydrated samples (p<0.05). Compared with the conventional FD process with HWB pretreatment (HWB-PF-FD), HWB-VF-FD cost significantly less processing time and FD time and obtained significantly higher RR (p<0.05), almost the equivalent SR, VC content, and hardness, and similar appearance in dried samples. The microstructure of apple cell tissues was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to interpret the above differences in drying characteristics and product qualities. The results suggested that the NIFD process of apple slices with HWB pretreatment was a promising alternative method to decrease drying time, achieve similar product quality, and simplify the process steps of the conventional FD technology.


Author(s):  
Petra Foerst ◽  
M. Lechner ◽  
N. Vorhauer ◽  
H. Schuchmann ◽  
E. Tsotsas

The pore structure is a decisive factor for the process efficiency and product quality of freeze dried products. In this work the two-dimensional ice crystal structure was investigated for maltodextrin solutions with different concentrations by a freeze drying microscope. The resulting drying kinetics was investigated for different pore structures. Additionally the three-dimensional pore structure of the freeze dried samples was measured by µ-computed tomography and the pore size distribution was quantified by image analysis techniques. The two- and three-dimensional pore size distributions were compared and linked to the drying kinetics.Keywords: pore size distribution; freeze drying; maltodextrin solution; freeze drying microscope   


Author(s):  
Niladri Chakraborty ◽  
Rajat Chakraborty ◽  
Asit Kumar Saha

Abstract Kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa) (KF) is one of the best fruits available due to its large amount of nutrients. Despite its many health benefits, there are no previous reports on its preparation in other readily ingestible forms. The objective of the present study was to make a new food product from KF. The KF pulp was fortified and blended with several raw materials (such as rice flour and oat flour) using a stepwise short time addition and mixing methodology since this avoids unwanted biochemical and chemical reactions. The blended and reduced moisture KF paste was freeze-dried on a round silver coated steel plate (RSCSP), supplying the heat of sublimation using a newly designed cubic heater. The freeze-drying (FD) time was 4.5 h and the drying kinetics were studied using four established models. The effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) during FD (at 50 °C) was 1.532 x 10-6 m2/s and the activation energy (E) estimated for the FD was 28.35 kJ/mol. The freeze-dried sample was ground and placed under vacuum to reduce the weathering effects. The quality of the stored product was evaluated using the proximate analysis, physicochemical analysis and a sensory evaluation using a hedonic scale. The raw, fresh KF had a moisture content of 85.07% and the final freeze-dried product one of 3%. The carbohydrate, total sugar, protein, fat, total ash, crude fibre and vitamin C contents of the final product increased by 563%, 400%, 355%, 386%, 672%, 106%, and 117% respectively. Of the 66 panelists, the % consumer acceptances for the different attributes were: sweetness (68.18%), sourness (90.91%), saltiness (100%), bitterness (100%), flavour (95.45%), texture (77.27%) and overall acceptability (81.82%). Using conventional freeze-drying (CFD) for blended KF pulp without fortification, with the same RSCSP and the same cubic heater for sublimation, the drying time was found to be 7 h to reach the same final moisture content of 3%.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Matthew A. Achaglinkame ◽  
Eric Owusu-Mensah ◽  
Abena A. Boakye ◽  
Ibok Oduro

Snails, a delicacy in most tropical communities, are highly perishable and seasonal. Employed preservative methods are highly temperature dependent, adversely affecting their nutritional value and sensory properties. This study was aimed at determining the effect of size and drying time on the rehydration and sensory properties of freeze-dried snails. Snails were sized into three categories with average weights: 7.59 g (quarter-sized), 14.41 g (half-sized), and 30.71 g (whole), and freeze-dried for 15, 20, and 25 h. The moisture content and percent rehydration of the dried samples were determined by standard methods and sensory properties assessed by an in-house panel of 30 using a 5-point hedonic scale. The moisture content of the fresh and freeze-dried samples ranged from 65.80 to 75.20% and 3.25 to 10.24%, respectively. Freeze-dried samples had higher percent rehydration (27 to 102%) than the control; smoked snails (21 to 32%). Size had a significant (P<0.05) effect on the rehydration ability of the samples with the half-sized and freeze-dried for 15 h samples having the highest. The freeze-dried samples generally had higher consumer preference than the control in all attributes assessed. The findings show that freeze-drying snails (approximate weight of 14.4 g) for 15 h could be a consumer-preferred alternative preservative method for extending the shelf life of snails.


Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Munzenmayer ◽  
Jaime Ulloa ◽  
Marlene Pinto ◽  
Cristian Ramirez ◽  
Pedro Valencia ◽  
...  

Freeze-dried berry fruits are generally consumed as they are, whole and without peeling or cutting, as the conservation of their original shape and appearance is often desired for the final product. However, usually, berries are naturally wrapped by an outer skin that imparts a barrier to vapor flow during freeze-drying, causing berry busting. Photo-sequence, experimental, and theoretical methodologies were applied to evaluate the application of CO2 laser microperforations to blueberry skin. Under the same set of freeze-drying conditions, blueberries with and without perforations were processed. The results showed that the primary drying time was significantly reduced from 17 ± 0.9 h for nontreated berries to 13 ± 2.0 h when nine microperforations per berry fruit were made. Concomitantly, the quality was also significantly improved, as the percentage of nonbusted blueberries at the end of the process increased from an average of 47% to 86%. From a phenomenological perspective, the analysis of the mass transfer resistance of nontreated fruits, in agreement with reported studies, showed a Type II curvature, with a sharp decrease at low time, followed by a linear increase. In contrast, blueberries with nine perforations depicted a Type III regime, with a saturation curvature toward the time axis. It was demonstrated that CO2-laser microperforation has high potential as a skin pretreatment for the freeze-drying of blueberries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (6 Part B) ◽  
pp. 4241-4251
Author(s):  
Nebojsa Nedic ◽  
Milan Gojak ◽  
Ivan Zlatanovic ◽  
Nedzad Rudonja ◽  
Kristina Lazarevic ◽  
...  

The aim of this research is to study the drying kinetics of vacuum-dried and freeze-dried bee honey produced from two different varieties: Sunflower honey (Helianthus Annuus L.) and Acacia honey (Robinia pseudo acacia L.). Vacuum drying treatments were carried out with the honey samples? initial temperatures of +25?C, ?20?C, and ?40?C. Water content, total soluble solids, as well as the water activity of fresh and dried honey samples were determined. Freeze-drying of bee honey with initial sample temperature of ?40?C has resulted in shorter drying time (7-9 hours), moisture content (10%-12%), water activity (0.405-0.427 aW) and effective moisture diffusivity coefficient (8.26?10?7-9.51?10-7 m2/s). The high-performance liquid chromatography method was used when analyzing the impact that drying pre-treatments had on honey quality. The application of pre-treatments has led to an increase in hydroxy-methyl-furfural by 39-71%, and a decrease in diastase activity by 17-36%, all compared to fresh honey samples. The solutions of Verma model proved to be the best fit with the experimental results.


Foods ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aslı Aksoy ◽  
Salih Karasu ◽  
Alican Akcicek ◽  
Selma Kayacan

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different drying methods, namely ultrasound-assisted vacuum drying (USV), vacuum drying (VD), and freeze-drying (FD), on the drying kinetics and some quality parameters of dried minced meat. In this study, USV was for the first time applied to the drying of minced meat. The USV and VD methods were conducted at 25 °C, 35 °C, and 45 °C. The different drying methods and temperatures significantly affected the drying time (p < 0.05). The USV method showed lower drying times at all temperatures. The rehydration values of the freeze-dried minced meat samples were higher than those obtained by the USV and VD techniques. The samples prepared using USV showed higher rehydration values than the vacuum dried samples for all temperatures. The effects of the different drying techniques and drying conditions on the microstructural properties of the minced meat samples were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The USV method resulted in higher porosity and a more open structure than the VD method. Total color differences (ΔE) for VD, USV, and FD were 8.27–20.81, 9.58–16.42, and 9.38, respectively, and were significantly affected by the drying methods and temperatures (p < 0.05). Higher drying temperature increased the ΔE value. Peroxide values (PV) significantly increased after the drying process, and samples treated with USV showed lower PV values than the VD treated samples. This study suggests that USV could be used as an alternative drying method for minced meat drying due to lower drying times and higher quality parameters.


2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 1369-1377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hien Thi Ngo ◽  
Seishu Tojo ◽  
Takuya Ban ◽  
Tadashi Chosa

Abstract. Freeze-drying has played an increasingly important role in the production of dehydrated foods. This article discusses the operating conditions of the prior freezing process of blueberry fruit to maintain the fruit aroma during the sublimation process. The properties of frozen fruit, such as ice crystal size, seem to depend on the freezing speed, leading to some aroma loss during the sublimation process. The temperature of the deep freezer was set at -20°C, -40°C, -60°C, or -80°C to determine the effects of changing the freezing speed of blueberries during prior freezing. Northern highbush blueberry cultivars Dixi and Elliott harvested in a university orchard (Tokyo, Japan) were used as the test material. The sublimation process of freeze-drying was done using a transparent vacuum desiccator connected to a vacuum pump through a vapor cooling trap under heating conditions provided by a far-infrared heater. Trapped vapors were analyzed with GC-MS to identify and quantify the aroma compounds of the blueberries, such as benzaldehyde. The change in the appearance of the freeze-dried blueberries following prior freezing at various speeds is also described. The amounts of typical volatile compounds, such as acetic acid, 2-hexanol, and 3-hexanol, decreased as the freezing speed increased. Most volatile aroma compounds could be preserved when blueberries were frozen rapidly in a deep freezer. Keywords: Aroma loss, Blueberry, Freeze drying, Freezing speed, Prior freezing.


Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timilehin Martins Oyinloye ◽  
Won Byong Yoon

Freeze-drying is an important processing unit operation in food powder production. It offers dehydrated products with extended shelf life and high quality. Unfortunately, food quality attributes and grinding characteristics are affected significantly during the drying process due to the glass transition temperature (during drying operation) and stress generated (during grinding operation) in the food structure. However, it has been successfully applied to several biological materials ranging from animal products to plants products owning to its specific advantages. Recently, the market demands for freeze-dried and ground food products such as spices, vegetables, and fruits are on the increase. In this study, the effect of the freeze-drying process on quality attributes, such as structural changes, the influence of glass transition during grinding, together with the effect on grinding efficiency in terms of energy requirement, grinding yield, and morphological changes in the powder as a result of temperature, drying time were discussed. An overview of models for drying kinetics for freeze-dried food sample, and grinding characteristics developed to optimize the drying processes, and a prediction of the grinding characteristics are also provided. Some limitations of the drying process during grinding are also discussed together with innovative methods to improve the drying and grinding processes.


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