Abstract
Sorption isotherm is an essential property for the processing of biological materials. In this study, a component model for the prediction of the sorption isotherm was evaluated. In order to validate this component model, the moisture sorption isotherms for Chrysanthemum morifolium flowers and the orchid Anoectochilus formosanus Hayata were determined. The sorption isotherm was measured by using the equilibrium relative humidity technique for five temperatures. Seven sorption isotherm models were selected with four quantitative criteria and residual plots to evaluate fitting ability and prediction performance for these products. The results indicated that the sorption temperature did not significantly affect the adsorption isotherm. The Caurie and Henderson equations could be used for C. morifolium flowers and A. formosanus Hayata. The isotherm data of raw bamboo, elecampe and three varieties of corn kernels from the literature were adopted to validate the component model. Comparing with the predicted values of component values and actual isotherm moisture, the component model has good predictive ability at the aw range smaller than 0.7. Considering the practical application, the aw range below 0.7 is the main range for the processing of agricultural products, and the predictive values of this component model could be helpful for food engineering and for the food industry.
Highlights
IntroductionProcessing operations include drying, packaging, handling, and storing
Living plants need to be processed after harvesting
The physical, chemical and biological conditions such as microbial growth of plant materials are affected by moisture content, temperature and relative humidity (RH) of the ambient environment and treatment methods [1,2]
Summary
Processing operations include drying, packaging, handling, and storing. The physical, chemical and biological conditions such as microbial growth of plant materials are affected by moisture content, temperature and relative humidity (RH) of the ambient environment and treatment methods [1,2]. At fixed temperatures and pressures, the relationship between the relative humidity (RH) of ambient air and moisture content is called sorption isotherm. The equilibrium relative humidity is called water activity in food science field. The sorption isotherm dictates the corresponding water content at the same temperature for each humidity. Sorption isotherm properties include desorption and adsorption according to the adsorption or dehydration of moisture content. The sorption isotherm is essential information for the predicting drying and storage of materials. The design of packaging materials and the method are related to these properties
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