Taking into Account the Complex Nature and the Intrinsic Parameters of Agro-Food

Abstract

In this paper, we perform experiments on the drying of widely consumed food products in Africa. Tomatoes and peppers are considered as products with a complex structure. Zucchini, cucumber, eggplant and cabbages are the other products used in these drying experiments, having different intrinsic parameters. Most food products have three components, namely skin, flesh containing seeds and the central spongy structure, that do not have the same behavior during their convective drying. Skin is the component that significantly reduces drying while the flesh is easy to dry. By drying the samples considering their intrinsic parameters, one quickly realizes the complex nature of mass and heat transfers during the drying of biological products.