Continuous wok-frying of vegetables: Process parameters influencing scale up and product quality

A new process for continuous stir-frying in industrial scale has been introduced for producing convenience high-quality vegetables. The understanding of the dynamics of heat and mass transfer during stir-frying is crucial for scale up to industry. Studies on different vegetables cut to the same size show that heat and mass transfer is controlled by heat-induced shrinking of the vegetable pieces. The principal process parameters investigated are frying temperature, degree of loading (mass of raw material per turn of helix) and frying time. In addition to these external parameters, the geometry of the product pieces affects heat and mass transfer during the process in a predictable manner. The work has refined and substantiated a current mechanistic understanding of the continuous stir-frying process, and it provides the needed guidelines for scale up to industry. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.