Analysis of osmotic dehydration variables: influences on tomato (Licopersicon esculentum) drying

This work present's a study of tomato osmotic dehidration in a NaCl solution. Solution temperature and concentration, immersion time and agitation had their influences evaluated. Kinetics of moisture content and solid gain were obtained. After the osmotic treatment, the fruits were dried (tray dryer) in a range of 40 to 60ºC in 10 hours. It was observed that temperature and agitation increases moisture reduction, but those variables are more influential on solid gain, what is not interesting. Osmotic treatment was responsible for increasing drying rate in a subsequent convective tray drying. The mathematical model used here was statistically coherent.