Accelerated mass transfer during osmotic dehydration of high intensity electrical field pulse pretreated carrots

High intensity electrical field pulse (0.22 to 1.60 kV/cm) pretreatment was tested to accelerate the osmotic dehydration of carrot. Applied energy in the range of 0.04 to 2.25 kJ/kg, increased cell disintegration index in the range of 0.09 to 0.84 with < 1 degrees C rise in the product temperature. The effective diffusion coefficients of water and solute, determined using a Fickian diffusion model, increased exponentially with electric field strength according to D = A exp(-B/E), The rise in effective diffusion coefficient may be attributed to an increase in cell wall permeability, facilitating transport of water and solute. Such increase was evidenced by cell disintegration index and softening of product.