A novel mechanistic model for predicting shrinkage kinetics in plant-based foods by integrating solid matrix mobility and viscoelasticity

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Deformation during drying is a major physical change influencing drying kinetics and final product quality. Therefore, accurate prediction of shrinkage kinetics is essential for determining the optimal drying conditions for these foods. Shrinkage kinetics is greatly influenced by their structural mobility (rubbery-glassy transition) and viscoelastic properties. The current deformation models lack a comprehensive integration of structural mobility and viscoelasticity concepts, resulting in limitation in attaining insights on physiochemical state variations and viscoelastic stresses developed during drying. In order to overcome this limitation, this study proposes a novel mechanistic shrinkage model that combines solid matrix mobility-based shrinkage velocity and viscoelasticity consideration, incorporating variable mechanical properties to simulate deformation arising from moisture loss and pressure gradient respectively. Comparison between predicted drying kinetics and shrinkage evolution with experimental observation yielded close agreement, achieving low mean absolute error values. As the drying process progressed, a distinct anisotropic shrinkage pattern emerged, which is attributed to varied structural mobility based on temperature and moisture distribution across the food sample. Notably, shrinkage driven by moisture loss significantly outweighed that induced by pressure, exerting a predominant influence on overall volume change. Furthermore, the model demonstrated heightened sensitivity to water transport parameters compared to mechanical factors, which indicates the significance of moisture dynamics in shaping the drying process. Combined consideration of physiochemical changes and viscoelastic concept in the developed deformation model extends new possibility towards optimizing the drying process as well as quality aspect evaluation.