Effect of vacuum cooling operation parameters on cooling time and weight loss of Chinese cabbage

• Main Authors: Boonprasom P., Boonyakiat D.
• Format: Article
• Published: Chiang Mai University 2015
• Subjects: Multidisciplinary
• Online Access: http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=84872228711&origin=inward; http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/handle/6653943832/38035
• Institution: Chiang Mai University

The effect of vacuum pressure reserving operation mode on cooling time, weight loss percentage and temperature variation of Chinese cabbage were investigated. Vacuum cooling of Chinese cabbage packed in PE bags using different vacuum pressure reserving operation modes were experimented. The holding pressures for vacuum cooled Chinese cabbage packed in PE bags were set at five different levels; 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5 and 7 millibar; and at the 3 levels of the time reserving; 20, 25 and 30 minutes, respectively for each level of pressure. Cooling Chinese cabbage packed in PE bags to 4 ± 1°C with lower holding pressures consumed longer cooling times than higher holding pressures. The different operation conditions resulted in both effects on the cooling time and final temperature of Chinese cabbage packed in PE packages. Lower final pressure caused higher weight loss. The optimum condition for vacuum cooling process of Chinese cabbage packed in PE bags with initial temperature of 15-20 °C was at the final pressure of 6 mbar with pressure reserving of 30 minutes. The cooling time of Chinese cabbage packed in PE bags was 44 minutes and the weight loss percentage during vacuum cooling process was 2.29%.