Journal of Food Engineering, Vol.49, No.2-3, 223-236, 2001
Osmotic treatments (OT) and problems related to the solution management
The implementation of osmotic treatments (OT) of plant or animal materials in concentrated solutions (called also dehydration-impregnation by soaking process, DIS) presents a critical factor due to the management of the concentrated sugar/salt solutions. In particular some process steps must be evaluated in order to assess economical, environmental and technological impacts of the process itself. In this paper the critical points of the solution management have been criticised taking into account the items related to the solution changes during the process, the possibility to restore or re-use the solution itself and the relationship between the food on-going to dehydration and the solution properties.