1Centre for Incubation, Innovation, Research and Constancy (CIIRC), Jyothy Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, India
2Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
*Corresponding author: soumitra.banerjee7@gmail.com
Online published on 24 April, 2017.
Conventional hot air method of cashew kernel conditioning is time consuming besides other limitations, hence rapid infrared conditioning was tried as an alternative conditioning method. Comparative study of different temperature levels of infrared conditioning was carried to determine the effects on quality parameters of cashew kernel conditioning before peeling were compared with hot air conditioned kernels. Second level of infrared conditioning i.e., 160°C for 8 minutes was found to the best conditioning treatment out of all infrared heating levels tried, yielding kernel quality comparable to conventional hot air conditioning. Moisture removal during infrared conditioning was analyzed using different established drying models. Page model was found to fit well in all three selected infrared conditioning levels. Diffusion coefficients during infrared and hot air conditioning were found to be 1.40×10−08 and 9.00×10−10 m2/s respectively.
Cashew kernels, infrared heating, drying kinetics and modelling, quality analysis
