Modeling of drying kinetic of pretreated sour cherry.
The effects of pretreatment solution (dipping in boiling water, salty boiling water, ethil oleat) were studied on drying kinetic of sour cherry. The thin-layer drying of sour cherries were carried out at three air temperatures of 50, 60 and 70°C and airflow velocity of 1 m/s. The experimental data were fitted to several thin-layer drying models such as Newton, Henderson and Pabis, Page, Logarithmic, Approximate Diffusion, Two-term exponential, and Midilli et al.. Three statistical tools coefficient of determination (R2), reduced chi-square (x2) and root means square error (RMSE) were used to quantify the goodness of fit. According to the results, drying time of sour cherry samples dipped in salty boiling water solution was shorter than the pretreated samples and control treatments. Besids, The Midilli et al. and Logarithmic models were found to be most suitable in describing the drying characteristics of sour cherry respectively. The effective moisture diffusivity of sour cherries based on the analytical solution of Fick’s second law ranged from 2.07×10-11 to 2.33×10-10 m2/s. Using of pretreated solutions caused to decreasing activation energy in sour cherry drying process. Activation energy values varied from 23.74 to 83.05 kJ/mol.
Drying characteristics and some properties of spouted bed dried semi-refined carrageenan
Abstract The study was focused on the evaluation of spouted bed drying as a method for achieving dried carrageenan gels suitable for grinding, in order to obtain a final product in the form of a powder. Cubes formed from semi-refined carrageenan gels K12, K73, and their blends with carrageenan 92S (iota) were dried in a spouted bed at three temperatures: 60, 100, and 150 °C. Functional properties of the dried product were assessed in terms of density (bulk, apparent, and true), water activity, color parameters, rheological properties, and solubility. The results revealed that the decrease in the moisture ratio with time during spouted bed drying of carrageenan gels can be described by the Page model, which was characterized by satisfactorily fitting parameters such as R2, RMSE, and Ve. On the other hand, the decrease in the spouted bed volume ratio versus moisture content had linear characteristics, and depended significantly only on the kind of material. The increase in hot air temperature from 60 to 150 °C decreased the drying time for all types of carrageenan gels by ca 50%, contributing to lower equilibrium moisture content and water activity, as well as a lighter color of the dried product, apart from K73 + iota. However, drying at 100 °C provided product with the best solubility and high gelling ability. The differences in the final values of the bulk and apparent densities of dried carrageenan samples were explained, taking into account the effect of temperature and the materials’ properties on the behavior of shrinkage.
Technological change in the wine market? The role of QR codes and wine apps in consumer wine purchases
As an experiential good, wine purchases in the absence of tastings are often challenging and information-laden decisions. Technology has shaped the way consumers negotiate this complex purchase process. Using a sample of 631 US wine consumers, this research aims to identify the role of mobile applications and QR codes in the wine purchase decision. Results suggest that wine consumers that consider themselves wine connoisseurs or experts, enjoy talking about wine, and are interested in wine that is produced locally, organically, or sustainably are more likely to employ technology in their wine purchase decision. While disruption appears to have occurred on the supply side (number of wine applications available and the number of wine labels with a QR code), this research suggests that relatively little change is occurring on the demand side (a relatively small segment of the population—those already interested in wine—are employing the technology to aid in their purchase decision).