Density, shrinkage and porosity of calamari mantle meat during air drying in a cabinet dryer as a function of water content

The particle density of calamari mantle meat powder decreased with increasing water content and apparent density gave a peak at low water content, then decreased with increasing water content. The shrinkage and porosity were derived from the experimental density data and were correlated empirically. The empirical models were used to predict the density data. An attempt was made to apply the theoretical model proposed by Rahman (1991, Ph.D. Thesis, University of New South Wales, Australia) based on conservation of mass and volume, and modified to include excess volume and air pore formation. The uncertainty in the true density measurement, which is a common difficulty in this area, has made it impossible to predict accurately the excess volume, thus limiting Rahman's model.