Investigation of Drying Kinetics of Turkey Breast Meat Using Vacuum and Ultrasound-assisted Vacuum Drying

Various drying techniques are employed for the dehydration of fresh meat, and the evaluation of drying kinetics is crucial for determining parameters such as drying rate and energy efficiency. Recent studies have focused on developing innovative drying techniques, among which ultrasound-assisted vacuum drying (UAVD) has gained prominence. In this study, the drying process of turkey breast meat was investigated using both vacuum drying (VD) and UAVD at different temperatures (50°C, 60°C, and 70°C). The drying kinetics were analyzed using six different thin-layer drying models. Samples were dried until their moisture content fell below 20%, and the obtained drying data were successfully fitted to the six thin-layer drying models, with R² values ranging from 0.983 to 0.999. The logarithmic drying model was identified as the best-fitting model, and UAVD was found to be more effective than conventional vacuum drying. Moreover, drying efficiency in UAVD improved with increasing temperature, demonstrating its potential as an advanced drying technique for poultry meat processing.