Osmotic concentration of potato.

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Abstract
Summary: A study was conducted to determine what conditions define the equilibrium state between potato and osmosis solution for an osmosis concentration process. It was shown that at equilibrium, there is an equality of water activity and soluble solids concentration in the potato and in the osmosis solution. Rinsing the surface of the potato after osmotic concentration was shown to significantly reduce solids gain and soluble solids concentration in the potato, thus resulting in a sizeable increase in the potato water activity.When water loss, solids gain, change of water activity and economics are considered, the optimal conditions for an equilibrium osmosis with sucrose would use a 50% solution at a solution/solids ratio of 4. Uptake of solids during sucrose‐based osmosis results in 75% of the soluble solids in the equilibrated potato coming from the osmosis solution. A comparison of various osmosis solutions at a 60% total solids level shows that mixed sucrose‐salt solutions give a greater decrease of water activity than the pure sucrose solution, even though the mass transport data are similar, this undoubtedly being due to the uptake of salt.A model has been developed for calculation of osmosis mass transport data and water activity for osmotic concentration to equilibrium in sucrose solutions for the concentration range 10–70% and solutionlsolids range of 1–10. The mass transport data can be calculated with an average error < 4%. Water activity can also be predicted with good accuracy for the range of parameters normal for osmosis concentration processes. The proposed model was also able to predict osmosis mass transport data and water activity data for short, non‐equilibrium osmosis times.

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