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Change in Moisture Distribution in Lasagna Pasta Post Cooking
Author(s) -
Mccarthy K.L.,
Gonzalez J.J.,
McCarthy M.J.
Publication year - 2002
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.1365-2621.2002.tb08723.x
Subject(s) - moisture , water content , diffusion , nuclear magnetic resonance , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , composite material , thermodynamics , chromatography , physics , geology , geotechnical engineering
The time‐dependent internal moisture distributions in lasagna pasta were experimentally evaluated and mathematically modeled as a function of cooking time and holding time. During the holding time, changes in the moisture distribution were followed using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) spin‐echo‐based pulse sequence. Immediately after cooking, the moisture distribution was highly nonuniform for all samples. The moisture content was high on the surface of the pasta and low in the central plane. This gradient equilibrated over time as the moisture redistributed. The moisture redistribution was modeled using a one‐dimensional Fickian diffusion equation; values of the diffusion coefficient ranged from 0.8 to 1.6 × 10 −7 cm 2 /s.