Drying kinetics and quality characteristics of microwave-assisted hot air dried beef chips

Abstract

In this study, the drying kinetics and quality characteristics of microwave-assisted hot air dried beef chips were investigated. For this purpose, beef slices were treated with spice mixture (4 g/100 g beef) and then dried with 2 different air temperature (60 and 70 °C) and 3 different microwave power (0, 90 and 180 W at fixed product weight). Drying process was terminated when moisture content of samples went below 15% and then drying kinetics and quality characteristics of the beef chips were analyzed. Drying time of beef chips reduced due to the increase in the microwave power and temperature whereas Page model was the most suitable model for identifying drying kinetics. It was also noted that average moisture content of microwave-assisted hot air dried beef chips was 12.8% (dry basis), water activity (a_w) value was 0.70, pH value was 5.8 and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value was 30.48 µmol MDA/kg. It was further found that those beef chips that were dried at high temperature (70 °C) and microwave power (180 W) had darker color (higher a* value) and shorter, thicker and harder (high cutting force). Moreover, it was finally noted that such fast drying samples had better microbial and sensory quality.

Keywords:

• Beef chip
• quality
• dried meat
• microwave power
• hot air

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank TÜBİTAK for university students’ research project support (2209/A).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elif Aykın-Dinçer

Elif Aykın-Dinçer obtained her B.Sc. degree from the University of Ankara, Turkey in 2010. Her M.Sc. degree from the University of Süleyman Demirel, Turkey in 2013; and her Ph.D. degree from the University of Akdeniz, Turkey in 2018. Since 2013 she is a researcher at the Food Engineering Department, University of Akdeniz, Turkey. Her current research area is in Meat Science and Technology.

Büşra Atlı

Büşra Atlı received the B.Sc. degree in Food Engineering from the University of Akdeniz, Turkey in 2020.

Özge Çakmak

Özge Çakmak received the B.Sc. degree in Food Engineering from the University of Akdeniz, Turkey in 2020.

Seda Canavar

Seda Canavar received the B.Sc. degree in Food Engineering from the University of Akdeniz, Turkey in 2020.

Ayşegül Çalışkan

Ayşegül Çalışkan received the B.Sc. degree in Food Engineering from the University of Akdeniz, Turkey in 2020.