Influence of the Addition of Dietary Fiber on the Drying Curves and Microstructure of a Dry Fermented Sausage (Sobrasada)

Abstract

[EN] The formulation of a dry fermented sausage has been modified by the addition of carrot dietary fiber (CDF; 3, 6, 9, and 12% [w/w]), and the influence of this change on the drying curves and food microstructure has been studied. The CDF content influenced the initial moisture content as well as the drying rate. A diffusion model taking into account the change in the product formulation has been proposed to simulate the drying curves. A constant mass transfer coefficient of 2.53 x 10(-8) m/s was obtained and the effective water diffusivity varied exponentially with the CDF content from 0.99 x 10(-11) m(2)/s (0% CDF) to 2.08 x 10(-11) m(2)/s (12% CDF). The simulation of the drying curves was satisfactory (mean relative error of 0.5 +/- 0.1%). No differences in the microstructure related to the proteolytic process were found among samples with different CDF contents.