1Department of Post Harvest Process and Food Engineering, College of Technology, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263145, India
2Department of Food and Agricultural Process Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur-679573, India
3Physiology, Biochemistry and Post harvest Technology Division, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod-671 124, Kerala, India
*Corresponding author: Email-rishi.richa@rediffmail.com
Online published on 2 January, 2019.
A mathematical model was developed for predicting relative moisture loss of malta under different storage conditions. A hypothesis was developed first and later translated to a governing equation which was solved to develop a simple equation for describing moisture loss for different storage period. Experimental and published data of moisture loss were fitted into the developed equation for its validation. The highest relative moisture loss of malta was observed to be 44.62% under ambient conditions and the lowest 4.81% under polyethylene treatment after 45 days of storage. Experimental relative moisture loss data fitted best for the moisture loss range of 0.0131 to 0.4462 in developed model with ‘r’ values lying in a range of 0.9997 to 0.9999 and ‘S’ values in the range of 0.000 to 0.0036, respectively.
Mathematical model, Relative moisture loss, Malta, Scavenger, Fruit storage
