MOISTURE – SOLID TRANSFER DURING OSMOTIC DEHYDRATION OF BANANA (MUSA SAPIETUM) VARIETIES

Moisture-Solids transfer during the osmotic dehydration of three banana (Musa Sapietum) varieties was investigated. Cavendish, Omini-red and Cooking banana were transversely sliced into 10, 15 and 200m thicknesses. Sample of each thickness were immersed in 250, 600 and 680B sucrose solutions. A fruit: solution ratio of 1:20 (w/w) was maintained. The fruit-solution mixtures were kept at 270, 340 and 400C for 12 hours. Samples were evaluated gravimetrically at 2 hours interval. Moisture and total solids contents were determined and expressed as g water/g dry matter (DM) and g solids/g initial mass respectively. Moisture contents on dry basis of the banana slices were found to decrease with increased immersion time, solution concentration and temperature. However, moisture contents decreased with decreased slice thickness. Total solids content increased with increased immersion time, solution concentration and temperature, but decreased with decreased slice thickness. Omini red cultivar had the lowest moisture content and the highest total solids content at the end of 12 hours of osmotic treatment. Complex polynomial equation showing the relationship with moisture and total solids contents with immersion time showed high correlation (R2 = 0.9919 – 1.000)