INTEGRATED MODELING OF MOISTURE DIFFUSION, SOLID GAIN, AND PROCESS OPTIMIZATION IN OSMO-CONVECTIVE DRYING OF PINEAPPLE (Ananas comosus) AND BROCCOLI (Brassica oleracea) VIA RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY
Osmo-convective drying is an effective pretreatment method for optimizing dehydration and maintaining product quality. Pineapple and broccoli were dehydrated osmotically using sugar (35–55% w/w), salt (3–9%w/w), andbinary sugar–salt mixtures at 30–120 min immersion, followed by convective drying at 40–60°C. Mass transfer parameters, including water loss (WL), solid gain (SG), and weight reduction (WR), were measured. WLincreasedwith osmotic concentration and temperature due to osmotic pressure gradients. Moisture reduction followedexponential kinetics, with final moisture content below 20%, ensuring extended shelf life. Response SurfaceMethodology (RSM) with a Box–Behnken Design yielded high-fidelity quadratic models (R² > 0.96). Optimal conditions produced WL ≈ 26%, SG ≈ 9.6%, and WR ≈ 15.3%. Binary sugar–salt solutions outperformed single- solute systems. Results confirm the industrial suitability of osmo-convective drying for fruit and vegetablepreservation.
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