The vacuum cooling of selected cooked solid food semiproducts (carrots, potatoes, parsley, beef and pork steaks, and chicken breast) was experimentally studied with regard to an important mass transfer parameter - the product of the mass transfer coefficient and mass transfer surface, kS, In several cases, kS was found to be independent or slightly dependent on the sample volume. Average kS values are also reported for every product studied. The data presented in this paper can serve for mathematical modelling, process kinetics prediction and engineering calculations of the vacuum cooling of semiproducts destined for preparing ready meals. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rigits reserved.