Food Science &Technology

Practical no: 05

Osmotic dehydration of
vegetables by using brine
solution.

B.P.D. Abeywardhana.
AS2013008.

2nd Year 1st Semester.

Date no: 10/03/2015
Practical no: Osmotic dehydration of vegetables by using brine solution
Objectives: To preserve fruits & vegetables by reducing the water activity.

Introduction
Osmotic dehydration
Osmotic dehydration is a process that entails the partial of water of food items such as vegetables
& fruits. Osmotic dehydration works by soaking food in a higher osmotic pressure solution. The
diffusion of water is accompanied by the simultaneous counter diffusion of solutes from the
osmotic solution into the tissue since the cell membrane responsible for osmotic transport is not
perfectly selective, solutes present in the cells (organic acids, reducing sugars, minerals, flavours
and pigment) can also be leached into the osmotic solution, which affect the organoleptic and
nutritional characteristics of the plant.
Osmotic dehydration has received greater attention in recent years as an effective method for
preservation of fruits and vegetables. Being a simple process, it facilitates processing of tropical
fruits & vegetables such as banana, sputa, pineapple, mango and leafy vegetables etc. with
retention of initial fruits & vegetables characteristic color, aroma and nutritional compounds. It is
less energy intensive than air or vacuum drying process because it can be conducted at low or
ambient temperature. It has potential advantage for the processing industry to maintain the food
quality and to preserve the wholesomeness of the food. It involves dehydration of fruit slices in
two stages removal of water using as an osmotic agent (osmotic concentration) and subsequent
dehydration in a dryer where moisture content is further reduced to make the product shelf
stable.
Osmotic concentration is the process of water removal from fruits and vegetables, because the
cell membranes are semi-permeable and allow water to pass through them more rapidly than
sugar. During osmosis small quantity of fruit acid is removed along with water.
It is a dynamic process, in which water and acids are removed at first and then move slowly,
while sugar penetration is very slight at first but increases with time. Therefore, the
characteristics of the products can be varied by controlling temperature, sugar syrup

concentration, concentration of osmosis solution, time of osmosis etc. to make osmotic

concentration process faster.

Application of osmosis in Food processing

The osmotic dehydration process and influence of its process variables such as pretreatment,
temperature of sugar solution and additives on the mass transfer in osmosis dehydration of
various fruits was studied and reported that the apple slices reduced by 50% of original weight
by using 60-70 brix sugar solution and superior quality. The study also indicated that there was
no need of sulphure dioxide treatment to prevent loss of color. The osmotic air- dried products
were high in superior quality and reported that the osmosis process removed water from fruits
and vegetables slices to the extent of 40-50 percent of the weight, but not enough for storage.
Therefore, to remove water up to safe levels further drying is needed.

Parameters influencing the osmotic process

1) Maturity
2) Temperature
3) Nature & concentration of osmotic agent
4) Agitation
5) Geometry of the material
6) Fruit pieces to osmosis solution ratio
7) Physic- chemical properties
8) Additives
9) Structure & pressure
10) Pretreatment

Advantages of the osmotic dehydration

There are number of advantages f the osmotic dehydration process.
1) It minimizes the effect of temperature on food quality and preserves the wholesomeness
of the food, as no high temperature/phase change is required in the process.
2) Mild heat treatment favors color flavor retention resulting in the product having superior
organoleptic characteristics. It is more when sugar syrup is used as osmotic agent.
3) It increases resistance to heat treatment.
4) The process is quite simple, economical. (Energy requirement is 2-3times less as
compared to the conventional drying.)
5) It prevents the enzymatic browning and inhibits activities of polyphenol oxidases.
6) It improves the texture and rehydration properties.
7) The blanching process may be eliminated by this process, which reduces cost of
processing.

8) Acid removal and sugar intake by fruits modified the composition and improves the taste
and acceptability which is called candying effect.

Material

Cucumber
Salt
Knife
Cutting board
Conductometer
Refractometer
Jam bottle

Procedure
Firstly 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7% solutions were prepared. Then cucumber was washed and
peeled off. Then small equal size cucumber pieces were cut. Then 5g of cucumber were
measured in a moisture dish and was placed in the moisture oven for 3 hours. After 3 hours, it
was checked several times until it gives a constant weight and the final constant weight was
measured.
Afterwards 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7% solutions were poured into labeled bottles separately. Then
5g of cucumber cubes were added to each jam bottles. Then the solutions in each jam bottles
were tested for conductivity & brix value (TSS) in every 15 minutes for 2 hours.
After the two hours, 5g of cucumber from each jam bottle was measured and they were kept in
the moisture oven for 3 hours. After a constant weight was achieved, the weights of the dry
sample were measured.
Then above steps were carried out adding 1g sugar to brine solutions and 1g Citric acid to brine
solutions. Sugar & brine series/ brine & Citric acid series)

Observation

Raw cucumber sample

Empty weight of the dishes
62.0425g
62.5456g
56.9188g

Initial weight of cucumber

5.0125g
5.0019g
5.0010g

After 3 hrs total weight

62.1922g
62.7444g
57.0586g

Final weight of dried cucumber

0.1497g
0.1986g
0.1398g

Moisture content
(5.0125-0.1497)/5.0125100= 97%
96%
97.2%

Moisture content of raw cucumber

Moisture content in cucumber

97%+96%+97.2%/3

96.7%

weight of the sample- weight of the dried sample * 100

Weight of the sample

Pure cucumber sample

Moisture content
solution initial
weight(g)
2%
5.0031

after 1 day
weight(g)
22.2747

weight of the empty

moisture dish(g)
22.0392

final dried
weight(g)
0.2355

moisture
content%
95.29

3%

5.0677

13.5787

13.322

0.2567

94.93

4%
5%
6%
7%

5.0320
5.0125
5.0538
5.0153

13.0204
50.5934
44.8015
45.8640

12.721
50.2328
44.3953
45.4582

0.2994
0.3606
0.4062
0.4058

94.05
92.80
91.96
91.91

Conductivity
Time(minutes) 2%
solution
0
31.5
15
28.2
30
25.8
45
24.1
60
24.5
75
24.0
90
24.0
105
24.0
120
24.0

3%
solution
44.9
39.7
36.1
33.5
34.2
33.6
33.6
33.6
33.6

Conductivity of(mS/cm)
4%
5%
solution
solution
60.7
72.2
54.8
59.7
49.8
56.8
44.7
53.4
43.9
52.9
44.0
52.3
44.6
52.5

6%
solution
88.0
77.4
74.5
65.2
64.9
65.3
65.0

7%
solution
94.2
71.4
77.7
75.6
70.8
67.9
67.3

Salinity
Time
(minutes)
0
15
30
45
60
75
90
105
120

2%
solution
21%
19%
15%
20%
16%
15%
10%

3%
solution
29%
24%
21%
23%
18%
17%
18%

Salinity of
4%
5%
solution
solution
39%
43%
29%
31%
28%
33%
29%
34%
24%
28%
23%
30%
25%
30%

6%
solution
48%
35%
33%
45%
40%
37%
37%

7%
solution
50%
39%
40%
43%
38%
40%
41%

conductivity vs time

conductivity(mS/cm)

100
94.2
90 88
80
77.4 77.7
74.5 75.6
70.8
7072.2 71.4
65.3
65.2 64.9 67.9
6060.7 59.7
54.8 56.8 53.4 52.9 52.3
50
49.8
44.9
44.7 43.9 44
40
39.7
36.1 33.5 34.2 33.6
3031.5 28.2
25.8 24.1 24.5 24
20

67.3
65

conductivity of 4% solution

33.6

conductivity of 6% solution

24

0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
time(min)

conductivity of 3% solution

52.5
44.6

10
0

conductivity of 2% solution

conductivity of 5% solution
conductivity of 7% solution

500C hot brine cucumber solution

Moisture content
strength of
sample

weight of the moisture

disk

initial cucumber
weight

final
weight

dried
weight

moistur
e%

time(min)

2% sample

3% sample

4%

5%

6%

sample

sample

sample

15
30
45
60

25.2
24.2
23.1
23

35.5
32.6
31.8
32.2

39.8
38.7
37.4
37.1

42.2
41.2
40.9
40.4

55.2
51.9
51
50.7

(mS/cm)
5% sample 6% sample
42.2
55.2
41.2
51.9
40.9
51.0
40.4
50.7
40.4
50.7

7% sample
66.3
62.0
61.2
61.3
61.5

Conductivity

Time(min)
15
30
45
60
75

2% sample
25.2
24.2
23.1
23.0
23.0

Conductivity of
3% sample 4% sample
35.5
39.8
32.6
38.7
31.8
37.4
32.2
37.1
32.1
37.4

Salinity
Time(min)
15
30
45
60
75

2% sample
14
15
17
23
17

3% sample
20
22
21
30
24

Salinity of
4% sample 5% sample
23
25
26
25
27
27
34
35
27
29

6% sample
30
33
35
41
36

7% sample
36
40
44
50
45

500C brine solution

1g of sugar added brine solution series.

Moisture content
solution moisture dish initial
weight(g)
2
62.048
3
56.924
4
62.539
5
50.226
6
13.303
7
45.469

sample
weight(g)
5.011
5.011
5.016
5.01
5.019
5.001

after 3hrs
weight(g)
62.258
57.155
62.818
50.541
13.672
45.921

dried
weight(g)
0.21
0.231
0.279
0.315
0.369
0.452

Conductivity
Time(min)
0
15
30
45
60
75
90

2%
solution
30.7
25
24.8
23.9
24.3
24.2
24.2

Conductivity of
3%
4%
solution
solution
44.0
59.1
35.9
47.5
33.7
45.6
33.6
44.2
33.4
43.2
33.4
43.3
33.4
43.3

2%
solution
22
17
18
24
18
24
23

3%
solution
30
20
22
24
30
29
30

(mS/cm)
5%
6%
solution
solution
70.9
86.6
57.2
69.2
54.3
67.1
53
64.3
52.6
63.9
52.5
63.9
52.5
63.8

7%
solution
111.6
93.7
85.5
82.3
83.3
82.5
82.5

(%)
5%
solution
50
34
34
35
42
42
42

7%
solution
81
52
60
55
63
62
62

Salinity
Time(min)
0
15
30
45
60
75
90

Salinity of
4%
solution
43
28
30
30
36
35
35

6%
solution
62
40
41
43
49
49
49

moisture conten
%
95.81
95.39
94.44
93.71
92.65
90.96

Discussion
Principle

of osmosis (movement of water from a low concentrated solution to a high

concentration solution via a semi-permeable membrane) is used. In this method of dehydration
the cut foods in immersed in concentrated solutions of sugars and salts. A flux of water out of the
food and of other solutes into the foodstuff develops due to the difference in osmotic pressure.
The product thus loses some water to the external solution. Rate of removal of water can be
enhanced by increasing the concentration of the osmotic solution or the temperature.
Cucumber was cut into some size pieces to make osmotic dehydration in all cucumber pieces
even as geometry or sizes of cucumber pieces affect osmotic dehydration.
When cucumber pieces are dipped in a hypertonic solvent, the outside solute concentration is
higher than the interior solute content and the water concentration is high in the interior part. So
due to the concentration gradient water comes out through the semi permeable membrane. As
water comes out substance dissolved in water also comes out. At the equilibrium point the net
transfer will be zero. During this process the moisture removes from the material and the water
activity reduces.
The graphs of time vs conductivity for raw cucumber brine solution, heated cucumber brine
solution and raw cucumber 1g sugar brine solution showed fluctuations. The initial conductivity
went down after a certain period of time and finally reached to a constant level.
As the outside solution is hypertonic water and substance soluble in water starts to flow from
vegetables to the solution. During the initial stages the conductivity is high because the organic
acids and water soluble substances that comes out from cucumber. Organic do not have great
impact on conductivity.
When the net transfer become zero the conductivity becomes constant. Due to practical errors we
can see fluctuations of conductivity.
The electrical conductivity of food increases temperature as the mobility of the ions with
temperature. But our observations are not suiting with above. It is because of some practical
errors.
Sample containing 1g sugar brine solution has high outside solute concentration than others. So
water leaches out along with water soluble substances. Hence ion concentration goes down and it
will then decrease the conductivity. Above graphs shows a decline of conductivity and they
comes to constant after certain period of time.
When the concentration of the solution increases the salinity increases as the salt concentration
become high.

Salinity of the solution decrease with time as water leaches out from vegetable. The highest
water lose takes place in a mixture of sucrose- NaCl osmotic solution, NaCl increases the driving
forces from dehydration, lowering water activity and allowing a higher rate of penetration in the
material due to its low molecular weight.
In all osmotic solutions the water loss and solid gain increased with increasing concentration of
salt.
When heating cucumber the cell wall gets damage and water loss becomes high.

Conclusion
Osmotic dehydration causes moisture content, and conductivity in the solution to be decreased.
Osmotic dehydration happens in hypertonic solutions. Above mentioned properties can be
reversed inhypotonic solutions.

Reference questions
What is the principal involved in osmotic dehydration?
Principle of osmosis (movement of water from a low concentrated solution to a high
concentration solution via a semi-permeable membrane) is used. In this method of dehydration
the cut foods in immersed in concentrated solutions of sugars and salts. A flux of water out of the
food and of other solutes into the foodstuff develops due to the difference in osmotic pressure.
The product thus loses some water to the external solution. Rate of removal of water can be
enhanced by increasing the concentration of the osmotic solution or the temperature.
Give examples for osmotically dehydrated foods?

Apples
Guava
Pine apple
Cucumber
Carrot
Orange
Tomato
Papaya

Reference
http://foodpathshala.ning.com/profiles/blogs/osmotic-dehydration , http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0101-20612008000300028