Determination of Shrinkage Function for Pork Meat Drying

Abstract

The shrinkage of pork meat cylinders was measured and correlated with moisture content. Samples of different sizes were dehydrated under different drying conditions: forced convection (25°C and 0.6, 2.0, and 2.8 m/s) and natural convection (5, 10, 15, and 20°C). A linear relationship was found between the quotients R/R₀ and V/V₀ and the moisture content. This linear relationship was not found to be dependent on the size of the samples, their salt content, or drying conditions. For the experimental conditions in this study, water losses are responsible for shrinkage.

Keywords:

• Drying
• Meat
• Shrinkage

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors of this article acknowledge the financial support from the “Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia” in Spain, CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010 (CSD2007-00016).

Notes

CI: confidence interval.