Dehydration of tomato peels and seeds as affected by the temperature

Abstract An empirical model was developed for dehydrating tomato's peels and seeds (TPS) at three different temperatures (i.e. 50 °C, 60 °C and 70 °C). The model assumes that there is an initial constant drying rate period (first stage) followed by a decreasing drying rate period (second stage). To assess the goodness of fitting procedure, the mean relative deviation modulus E¯% was calculated. Results indicate that the model can adequately describe the dehydration data. The robustness of the model was further tested by evaluating the dependence of model parameters on the temperature, using an Arrhenius-type equation. Recorded findings show that model parameters changed with the temperature, thus confirming that the proposed model can be advantageously used to describe the dehydration kinetic of TPS. The influence of TPS dehydration on temperature was also assessed by calculating the dehydration rate as function of TPS water content. Results demonstrate that the dehydration rate increases as the testing temperature increases too. In both drying stages, the difference between the dehydration rate at 50 °C and the one at the other two temperatures is more marked.