MODELING OF FISH DRYING KINETICS USING A COMBINATION OF SURFACE RESPONSE METHODOLOGY AND DIFFUSIONAL MODELS

Drying is a common fish preservation technique used in developing coun tries. Analysis of process factors involved in controlled fish drying permits process optimization and assists in design of suitable dryers. Various methodologies, with models of different complexities (analyti cal, semi-empirical and empirical models), have been used to investiga te fish drying kinetics. The original feature of this study is the com bined use of surface response methodology and diffusional models. In a limited number of experiments, this combination allowed development o f a predictive tool for assessing fish drying mechanisms and drying ti me.