Electrical and Thermo-Physical Properties of Meat Ball

Abstract

Ohmic heating is an interesting method for heating meat ball; however, its effectiveness relies on the electrical and thermo-physical properties of the product. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the electrical conductivities and thermo-physical properties of pork-meat balls. The results showed that electrical conductivities of samples could be well-fitted into the mathematical models as a function of temperature and the ratio of each ingredient due to their high R² and low RMSE. The addition of salt and sodium tripolyphosphate led to a significant increase in electrical conductivity. The specific heats and thermal conductivities of meat balls were measured, whereas the convective heat transfer coefficients were determined by a lump-heat capacity technique. An equation was developed to estimate the convective heat transfer coefficients as a function of temperature difference between particle and surrounding fluid.

Keywords:

• Electrical conductivity
• Meat ball
• Ohmic heating
• Thermo-physical property

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was financially supported by the Kasetsart University Research and Development Institute, Bangkok, Thailand.