Comparative evaluation of different drying techniques for beef meat

The study aimed to evaluate the influence of different drying techniques (Convective and microwave drying) on beef meat's drying kinetics and color parameters. While drying rates with convective drying vary between.005 and.009 g water/g dry matter, it varies between.014 and.166 g water/g dry matter for microwave drying. Among the model proposed, for the conditions applied in the microwave and convective drying methods, the Midilli model gave a better fit. The Arrhenius-type equation calculated the activation energies of beef samples. Activation energies were 64.15 and 449.86 kJ/mol for convective and microwave drying, respectively. According to measured L*, a*, and b* values and calculated ΔE, C*, and h° values, convective drying at 80°C provided the closest color characteristics to fresh meat. Practical applications: Beef is a perishable food and storage conditions are very important. It is important to have information about the drying methods to be applied in the preservation of these foods in terms of process control. In this study, microwave drying and convective drying methods were examined and it was shown that microwave drying, which is one of the drying methods, shortens the processing time. However, in the convective drying method, color properties similar to the fresh product are provided. This research can provide theoretical guidance for further processing and preservation.