Cinética de secagem de fatias de abacaxi tratadas com preservantes.

Abstract

The influence of treatments in the drying kinetics of pineapple slices was evaluated. The treatment consisted in the immersion of pineapple slices in citric acid, ascorbic acid, calcium chloride solutions and distilled water, and the samples were dehydrated in a oven with air circulation at 70ºC. The experimental data were fitted using the models of Lewis, Page and Henderson & Pabis. All of the treatments reduced the time of drying in relation to the control (distilled water), with prominence for the calcium chloride treatment. It is noticed that the studied models well fitted to the experimental data, could be applied in prediction of pineapple drying in slices, and Page model resulted the best fitting.