Abstract
An automatic measurement system was developed to determine the transport properties for food materials. Some mathematical models were developed to determine the thermal conductivity and permeability for the dried layer of food samples undergoing sublimation dehydration. The values of transport properties were presented for several food materials indicating the critical processing factors for the drying rate of each material. A micro-slicer image processing system was developed for measuring the three-dimensional structure and distribution of ice crystals formed in frozen foods. The effects of freezing conditions on the morphology and distribution of ice crystals were demonstrated quantitatively from the observations of solid foods and solution systems. A new heating program and methodologies were developed to shorten the drying time for industrial freeze-dryer to produce egg soups.
