QUANTITATIVE-EVALUATION OF POULTICE UP PR OCESS IN FORCED VENTILATIONDRYING OF FOODS USING A FISH PASTE SAUSAGE AS A MODEL

Effective parameters to evaluate the poultice up process (PUP) which h as conventionally been used for forced ventilation drying processes of foods were newly proposed. Using a fish paste sausage as a model food , drying efficiency was quantitatively evaluated in connection with te mperature and the PUP. The rate analysis of the redrying step after th e introduction of PUP process presented an adequate diffusion mechanis m of water in the sausage. We introduced two parameters : a drying rat e ratio (R) which can evaluate acceleration rate due to the PUP and an effectiveness factor of drying time (E-f) which shows the reduced per iod of drying process due to the PUP, The R-value was effectively used to compare the drying rate and to determine the effective period for PUP-introduction in various drying conditions. The E-f-values were cla ssified into two groups depending on the starting time of the PUP. The two characteristic aspects of E-f were reasonably explained by two di fferent mechanisms of water diffusion according to the water content o f the sample. It was proved that the values of R and E-f are useful to evaluate quantitatively the PUP.