Drying of turkey breast with puff drying technique

In this study, it was carried out to reduce the turkey breast meat to the moisture content that it should have before puff drying with the use of different pre-drying methods (hot air drying, microwave drying and freeze-drying), and to convert it into a high-protein snack produc. In addition, the puff drying process conditions, puffing temperature, puffing time and vacuum temperature that independent variables were optimized according to the Box-Behnken trial design. Before optimization process, the most suitable pre-drying method, process conditions and moisture content of the pre-dried product were determined for turkey breast meat samples that produced under fixed puff drying conditions. Three different pre-drying methods were used during the determination of the pre-drying process. In line with the results, it was decided that 50% moisture content at 0.2 mbar pressure was suitable by freeze pre-drying method. After determining the pre-drying method, process conditions and moisture content of the pre-dried sample, the optimization process was performed between puffing temperature 100-125°C, puffing time 10-25 minutes and vacuum temperature 70-90°C, which are independent process variables according to the Box-Behnken trial design. As the target, minimum water activity, maximum protein content, expansion rate and sensory crispness were chosen, and the optimum puff drying process conditions, puffing temperature, puffing time and vaccum temperature was found as 102.47°C, 10 minutes and 90°C, respectively.