Influence of drying techniques and temperatures on drying kinetics and quality characteristics of beef slices

Abstract

Beef slices were vacuum-dried (at 60, 70 and 80 degrees C) and oven-dried (at 60 degrees C), respectively. The drying rate was significantly influenced by the drying technique and temperature. Six kinetic models were selected to evaluate the moisture ratio data, with regard to adjusted regression coefficient (R-2), the reduced chi-square (chi(2)) and root mean square error (RMSE). Among the tested models, the Page model showed the best fit to the experimental drying data. The lipid oxidation, rehydration rate, color and shear force properties of vacuum-dried beef slices were considerably better compared to oven-dried beef slices. Furthermore, vacuum drying at >60 degrees C ensured suitable microbiological quality and safety of the dry beef slices during storage due to the low water activity (0.45) of the product. Consequently, these results can be used to simulate the vacuum drying of beef slices and improve the efficiency of the drying process and the product quality.