Premium
Moisture Sorption Isotherms for Bacon Slices
Author(s) -
KONSTANCE R. P.,
CRAIG J. C.,
PANZER C. C.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1983.tb14805.x
Subject(s) - sorption , water activity , chemistry , moisture , dehydration , water content , food science , chromatography , environmental chemistry , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , adsorption , biochemistry , geology , geotechnical engineering , physics
There is substantial evidence that controlled dehydration of bacon products to a water activity of 0.92 or below should allow control of spore outgrowth and toxin production by Clostridium botulinum and permit reduction of added nitrite levels. This study presents sorption data necessary for the development of a practical dehydration technique for bacon. Variations in fat/lean ratio, storage temperature, sorption mode, and drying method result in changes to the moisture sorption isotherms. Of these parameters only fat/lean variability of bacon significantly affects the isotherms at water activity levels above 0.90. Empirical equations for the isotherms were derived and used to establish differences in the isotherms due to variation in the parameters studied.