J . Fd 7echnol.

(1983) 18, 427-440

A study of the apparent diffusion coefficients for solute losses

from carrot tissue during blanching in water

J . D. SELMAN, P. RICE and R. K. ABDUL-REZZAK

Summary

The apparent diffusion coefficients ( D J for total solute loss from cylinders of
Chantenay carrot cortex tissue were calculated after blanching under various
conditions. Cell sap concentration was measured before and after blanching
for times up to 1800 sec, in the temperature range 333-363°K. Values of D,
were found to be in the range 3x10-10-8~10~'0m2/sec,and could be related
to temperature by an Arrhenius type equation, having an activation energy of
28.2 kJ/mol. D, was independent of cylinder diameter between 0.005 and
0.007 m, but appeared to increase in blanch media concentrations that were
higher than the initial carrot cell sap concentration. The formal numerical
solutions for unsteady state diffusion mass transfer were recalculated in the
relevant cell sap concentration range (7.8-10.4% as sucrose), and are given in
tabular form for the shapes of slab of infinite extent, sphere, and cylinder of
infinite length. In design, these results will allow the prediction of mean cell
sap concentration, and hence the overall losses incurred, after a given blanch
or wash treatment in this time and temperature range.

Introduction

Water blanching is one of many processes in which the mass transfer

properties of the food constituents influence both the final product quality and
related operations, such as effluent disposal. Much attention has been given to
the losses of nutrients during vegetable blanching and the work has been well
reviewed elsewhere (Lee, 1958; Cain, 1967; Selman, 1977). Relatively few
studies have involved carrots (Lee, 1945; Gooding, 1956; Sistrunk, 1969; Dan
& Jain, 1971; Mirza & Morton, 1974; Baloch, Buckle & Edwards, 1977). In
Authors' address: Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University of
Technology, Ashby Road, Loughborough L E l l 3TU.

0022- 1163/83/0800-0427 $02.00 0 1983 Blackwell Scientific Publications

428 J . D. Selman, P. Rice and R. K. Abdul-Rezzak
most cases little consideration has been given to the mechanisms of loss
involved (Selman & Rolfe, 1979).
Several researchers have studied the loss of solid or liquid during the
processing of a variety of foodstuffs, under conditions where the surface
resistance has been removed by agitation and is just diffusion controlled. For
example Becker & Sallans (1955) studied the drying of wheat kernel which
was considered as spherical in shape. They estimated apparent diffusion
coefficients (Da, m'/sec) for water at several temperatures, and found that D ,
was related to temperature by an Arrhenius type equation:
D,=Do exp (-E,/RV
where D,,=constant (m'/sec), E,,=activation energy, (kJ/mol), R=universal
gas constant (8.314 J/K per mol), T=absolute temperature (OK).
At 334°K the D , for water was 1 . 5 8 ~ 1 0 - ' "m'/sec. Saravacos & Charm
(1962) reported D, values of 10-9-10-10 m'/sec for water in the air drying of
potato and other fruits and vegetables, again exhibiting strong temperature
dependence. Urie & Shahbenderian (1968) found the desalting of pickled
gherkins to be controlled by simple diffusion, with a D, of 1.35XlO-"' m2/sec.
Suarez, Viollaz & Chirife (1980) dried grain sorghum, treated the grain as
spherical, and also showed that D , obeyed an Arrhenius-type equation with
temperature; at 333"K, D, =4.0XlO-" m'/sec. Lathrop & Leung (1981)
examined the water blanching of peas. These were treated as spherical in
shape and the D , for ascorbic acid at 358°K was determined as 1 . 4 ~ 1 0 - *
m2/sec, a significantly higher value compared to related work. Similar
experiments have been conducted on other foods, for example Bressan et al.
(1981, 1982) measured the D , for solids loss from cheese curds during
washing. They related D , to temperature using a linear relationship; at 331°K
the value of D,, was 5 . 5 4 ~ 1 0 - " m2/sec.
The objective of this work was to examine the mechanisms of solute loss
from carrot tissue during water blanching, and to estimate values of D , for
solute loss by diffusion under various conditions of tissue size, blanch time,
temperature and concentration of the blanch medium.

Materials and methods

Currot sump les

Chantenay carrots (supplied by the National Vegetable Research Station,
Wellesbourne) were sorted to select those with a length of 0.12-0.15 m and a
diameter of 0.025-0.035 m. Cylinders of carrot tissue were cut longitudinally
using a sharp No. 3 size cork borer, to give cylinders of either cortex or core
tissue 0.06 m in length and 0.006 m in diameter. This effectively 'infinite'
cylinder was chosen to be the studied shape due to the availability of a formal
solution for unsteady state diffusion, and the similarity to the shape of a whole
 Blanching of carrot tissue 429
Table 1. Cell sap concentration (percentage refractometric solids, as sucrose) of Chantenay carrot
cortex cylinders cut from eight different carrots

Cylinders cut Cell sap concentration (as 7%sucrose w/w) in cylinders of carrot cortex
from the given cut from the given carrot
carrot, at the
same radius A B C D E F G H

7.8 9.6 10.1 10.1 8.5 9.0 9.2 8.3

7.9 10.1 10.4 10.1 8.4 9.0 9.5 8.0
8.3 10.2 - 10.2 8.3 9.1 - 8.0
7.8 10.1 - - - 9.6 - 8.0
- 10.1 - - - - - -
Means 8.0 10.0 10.2 10.1 8.4 9.2 9.4 8.1
~

carrot. Where "indicated, other work involved carrots of unknown variety

(nameless) but which had similar dimensions and initial cell sap concentration
to the Chantenay carrots.
Several cylinders were cut out from a number of carrots and placed in a
covered Petri dish to minimize evaporation during the short delay prior to use.
Each test sample consisted of two cylinders (approx. 0.005 kg) which were
carefully blotted with absorbent paper to remove surface cell sap before being
weighed. As characteristics of the Chantenay carrots used, the dry solids and
alcohol insoluble solids contents of the carrots were measured on a number of
samples. Mean dry solids content of cortex samples was 11.64+0.98% as
measured by drying to constant weight at 343°K and 13.33 kN/m2 pressure.
Mean alcohol insoluble solids content of whole carrot samples was
3.75+0.10% as determined by the method of Moyer & Holgate (1948).
Cell sap was expressed from the carrot tissue using a pestle and mortar and
the concentration of solutes was measured as percentage sucrose using an
AbbC refractometer calibrated with sucrose solutions (w/w) at 293°K. Leveille
et al. (1974) reported that the solutes in carrots (soluble solids
content=8.4+0.4%) consisted typically of about 50% sucrose, 20% reducing
sugars and 30% vitamins, minerals and soluble protein. The conccntration of
solutes in the cell sap of Chantenay carrots was only slightly less in core
samples compared to cortex samples. Cylinders of cortex taken from different
positions within the cortex had the same cell sap concentration. The number
of cylinders that could be cut from one carrot without defect varied from two
to five. The typical variation of cell sap concentration between cylinders cut
from eight carrots is shown in Table 1. Solute content of the cell sap ranged
from 7.8- 10.4%, with the mean for all twenty-seven cylinders being
9.1+.0.2% (as sucrose).

Blanching
The blanching technique was developed from that described by Selman &
Rolfe (1979). In this case it was desired to maintain a constant solute content
29
430 J. D. Selman, P. Rice and R. K. Abdul-Rezzak
in the blanch water, and so a 29 litre tank (0.45X0.29 m diameter) was filled
with 27 litre of either distilled water or sucrose solution. to effect an infinite
volume. The blanch medium was thermostatically controlled to +0.5"K, and
was agitated by an impeller to promote a uniform and constant concentration
in the medium at the surface of the carrot samples. Evaporation from the
surface of the blanch medium was minimised by a layer of plastic spheres.
Cotton thread was passed diametrically through the centre of each carrot
cylinder with a fine sewing needle, so that two carrot cylinders were about
0.10 m apart. The lower end of the thread was weighted and several such
threads could be simultaneously suspended in the blanch medium from cross
bars. Blanch time was recorded from the moment of immersion. After the
required blanch time the samples were removed, lightly blotted, separated
from the cotton thread and placed in a closed Petri dish. One cylinder in each
sample was weighed and the dry solids content determined, and the second
cylinder was weighed and the cell sap concentration determined. A post
blanch cooling procedure was not incorporated.

Calculation of apparent diffusion coefficient (Da)

The two contributions to the total resistance to mass transfer in the

blanching of vegetables are the surface resistance due to convection, and the
'internal' resistance due to mass diffusion. These two can be represented by
Fick's first and second laws together with a mass balance at the interface
(surface) :

ac a2c
-a-t= D a * ax2
and

-Da - ac 1 aN
- --k ( C - C o ) = - - - -
ax A at

at x=a (surface), where A=total surface area for mass transfer (ml),
C=solute concentration at any point in the sample (%), Co=concentration of
the (blanch) medium (%), k=surface mass transfer coefficient (kg/m2 per
sec), N=mass diffusing (kg), t=(blanch) time (sec) and x=any position in the
sample where the concentration is C(m).
The solution to these equations is given by Newman (1931a) for the three
geometric shapes of slab of infinite extent, cylinder of infinite length, and a
sphere. The average concentration is obtained after integration with respect to
position, as a function of time for given values of surface mass transfer
coefficient, all in non-dimensionalized form. Newman also shows how the
results for a slab of infinite extent can be used to obtain the solution for a strip
 Blanching of carrot tissue 43 1
of infinite length, a rhomboid (in particular a cube) and a cylinder of finite
length.
If there is sufficient agitation of the blanching liquid, then the surface
resistance becomes small and it can be assumed that the total resistance is due
to only the 'internal' resistance. We then require only the solution to Fick's
second law. This is given by Newman (1931b) for the geometrical shapes slab
of infinite extent, cylinder of infinite length, and sphere, with the average
concentration obtained after integration with respect to position as a function
of time, again in non-dimensionalized form as follows:

c - c,
Slab: E = ___ (non-dimensionalized concentration)
c1- co

6 - 1
Sphere: E = 1 1
1exp -n2
n n=l n
[ (pa) n2]

m
X2"
where R , is the root of J o (x) = 1 + (- l)n --
-0
n= 1 (2nI2!

where the first ten values are:

n 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

R , 2.4048 5.5201 8.654 11.792 14.931 18.071 21.212 24.352 27.493 30.635

and here, a=characteristic linear dimension; half the diameter for a cylinder
and sphere, half the thickness for a slab (m), c=average solute concentration
in the (blanched) sample at time t (%), C,=uniform initial (cell sap) solute
concentration in the fresh (unblanched) sample (%), Jo=the Bessel function
of order zero, n=number of roots and D,t/a2=f, a non-dimensional time.
Ncwman (1931b) developed these solutions for drying applications over a
wide range of concentrations and presented the results as a set of tables. In the
case of blanching vegetables, the concentrations are much smaller and near to
zero, and Table 2 shows the solutions recalculated for smaller increments in
this range of concentrations, using the first ten terms for the three series. This
table has been applied in this blanching work. Values of D,were calculated by
first estimating E= (C- Co/CI- C,) from the experimenting data, and then
432 .I. D . Selman, P. Rice and R. K. Ahdul-Rezzak
Table 2. Values of i(D,t/a2) for various values of E ( C - G I
C,- C,) for the geometrical shapes: slab of infinite extent,
sphere, and cylinder of infinite length.

Slab Sphere Cylinder

t (El (El (El

0.0002 0.9773 0.9305 0.9527

40.0004 0.9734 0.9198 0.9455
0.0006 0.9697 0.9097 0.9387
0.0008 0.9663 0.9003 0.9323
0.0020 0.9493 0.8536 0.9003
0.0040 0.9286 0.7978 0.8612
0.0060 0.9125 0.7557 0.8312
0.0080 0.8990 0.7212 0.8063
0.0100 0.8871 0.6914 0.7845
0.0200 0.8404 0.5812 0.7014
0.0300 0.8045 0.5036 0.6402
0.0400 0.7743 0.4429 0.5904
0.0500 0.7476 0.3930 0.5478
0.0600 0.7236 0.3508 0.5105
0.0700 0.7014 0.3143 0.4772
0.0800 0.6808 0.2825 0.4470
0.0900 0.6614 0.2544 0.4195
0.1000 0.6431 0.2295 0.3941
0.1100 0.6257 0.2072 0.3707
0.1200 0.6091 0.1873 0.3489
0.1300 0.5931 0.1694 0.3286
0.14OO 0.5778 0.1532 0.3096
0.1500 0.5630 0.1387 0.2918
0.1600 0.5487 0.1256 0.2751
0.1700 0.5349 0.1137 0.2595
0.1800 0.5215 0.1030 0.2447
0.1900 0.5085 0.0932 0.2309
0.2000 0.4959 0.0845 0.2178
0.2100 0.4836 0.0765 0.2055
0.2200 0.4717 0.0693 0.1939
0.2300 0.4600 0.0628 0.1830
0.2400 0.4487 0.0569 0.1727
0.2500 0.4377 0.0515 0.1629
0.2600 0.4270 0.0467 0.1538
0.2700 0.4165 0.0423 0.1451
0.2800 0.4063 0.0383 0.1370
0.2900 0.3964 0.0347 0.1293
0.3000 0.3867 0.0314 0.1220
0.3100 0.3773 0.0285 0.1151
0.3200 0.3681 0.0258 0.1087
0.3300 0.3591 0.0234 0.1025
0.3400 0.3503 0.0212 0.0968
0.3500 0.3418 0.0192 0.0913
0.3600 0.3334 0.0174 0.0862
0.3700 0.3253 0.0157 0.0814
0.3800 0.3174 0.0142 0.0768
 Blunching of currot tissue 433
Table 2-continued

Slab Sphere Cylinder

t (El (El (El
0.3900 0.3096 0.0129 0.0725
0.4000 0.3021 0.0117 0.0684
0.4100 0.2947 0.0106 0.0645
0.4200 0.2875 0.0096 0.0609
0.4300 0.2805 0.0087 0.0575
0.4400 0.2737 0.0079 0.0543
0.4500 0.2670 0.0071 0.0512
0.4600 0.2605 0.064 0.0483
0.4700 0.2541 0.0058 0.0456
0.4800 0.2479 0.0053 0.0430
0.4900 0.2419 0.0048 0.0406
0.5000 0.2360 0.0043 0.0383
0.5100 0.2302 0.0039 0.0362
0.5200 0.2246 0.0035 0.0341
0.53w 0.2192 0.0032 0.0322
0.5400 0.2138 0.0029 0.0304
0.5500 0.2086 0.0026 0.0287
0.5600 0.2035 0.0024 0.0271
0.5700 0.1986 0.0021 0.0256
0.5800 0.1937 0.0019 0.0241
0.5900 0.1890 0.0017 0.0228
0.6000 0.1844 0.0016 0.0215

finding the corresponding value for f from the graph of f versus E for a
cylinder, as constructed from the values in Table 2. D;, was finally determined
by solving I = D,,fiu2.

Results and discussion

Preliminary work involved nameless carrots from which standard cylinders of

cortex and core tissue were cut and then blanched at 343°K for several times
up to 1800 sec. Solute concentration in the cell sap was measured after each
blanch time and the results are shown in Fig. 1. The trend for both cortex and
core is similar, both exhibiting the most rapid decrease in cell sap solute
concentration during the first 300 sec. Similar studies on carrot cortex by
Selman & Rolfe (1979) suggested that losses during these first 300 sec at 343°K
were due not simply to diffusion, but also to the expulsion of cell sap as turgor
was lost on cell death. Values for D, as calculated from the curves are shown
in Table 3, and this shows the mean values for D, during the period from
600- 1800 sec when solute losses appear to arise solely by diffusion. At 343°K
the mean D, for movement of solutes out of the core tissue was 5.30~10-'",
being slightly less than the mean D , of 6.40X lo-'' m2/sec for the cortex tissue.
434 J . D. Selman. P . Rice urid R. K. Abdul-Rezzuk

‘‘I
10

I I , . I

0 300 600 9 00 1200 I500 1800

Blanch t i m e ( s e c )

Figure 1. Percentage cell sap concentration of nameless carrot cortex and core
cylinders after the given blanch time at 343°K (means of two duplicated replicates).
A , Cortex; 0, core.

This difference may be due in part to initial concentration differences between

the tissues, and to small structural differences between the tissues. The
expulsive losses during the first 300 sec are reflected in some of the D , values
given in Table 3, which tend to be lower as might be expected if whole solution
is being lost during loss of turgor.
Cylinders of Chantenay cortex tissue were blanched for several times up to
1800 sec at 333, 343, 353 and 363°K and Fig. 2 shows the resulting cell sap
concentrations. A similar pattern of decreasing cell sap concentration is
observed at each temperature, but with increasing temperature the trend is for

I I I I I
0 300 600 900 1200 I500 1800
Blanch time (sec)

Figure 2. Percentage cell sap concentration of Chantenay carrot cortex cylinders

after the given blanch time at 333,343,353 and 363°K (means of two replicates). 0,
333°K; A , 343°K; X , 353°K; 0, 363°K.
Table 3. Apparent diffusion coefficients (0,) of cell solutes of carrot cylinders when blanched in water under the given
conditions (data from curves in Figs 1, 2 , 4 and 5)

Data Conditions
from vaned 0, x 10'" (m2/sec)values at the given blanch time (sec) Mean
figure Sample from 600-
number type standard* 120 300 600 900 1200 1500 1800 1800

1 Nameless
Core Standard 4.50 6.12 5.52 4.84 5.10 5.35 5.70 5.30
Cortex Standard 6.15 6.60 6.62 6.70 6.56 6.06 6.05 6.40

2 Cortex 333°K 3.75 1.20 2.34 2.10 3.41 3.68 3.82 3.07
Standard 1.00 2.04 3.42 4.00 4.35 4.35 4.55 4.13
353°K 1.50 3.30 4.58 5.12 5.72 5.58 5.80 5.36
363°K 6.98 7.35 7.68 7.62 7.69 7.80 7.43 7.64

Cortex Diam. =0.005m 3.07 4.83 5.31 5.14 5.05 4.92 4.80 5.04
Standard 2.34 4.20 5.25 5.10 5.10 4.86 5.08 5.08
Diam. =0.007m 0.96 2.86 4.04 4.76 4.98 5.15 5.21 4.83

5.93 7.14 6.33 5.30 4.73 4.62 5.15 5.23

19.90 24.30 24.50 22.40 19.50 15.60 13.40 19.10
Nameless 15% 4.65 7.50 7.80 6.95 6.30 5.99 6.00 6.61
(Cortex 20% 13.50 13.00 11.60 9.50 8.29 7.76 8.30 9.09

*Standard conditions: blanch temperature = 343°K; blanch medium = distilled water; carrot cylinder diameter = 0.006 m.

P
w
cn
436 J . D.Selman, P. Rice and R. K. Abdul-Rezzak

I L I I
2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1

j 103(d
Figure 3. Graph of In D, (mean apparent diffusion coefficients at 333,343,353 and
363°K from Table 3) versus the reciprocal of absolute temperature.

a more rapid decrease in concentration during the first 300 sec, resulting in a
greater overall loss at each blanch time. The results for both the Chantenay
and nameless carrots at 343°K are very similar, and indicate that different
types of carrots having similar characteristics such as initial cell sap
concentration, may exhibit a similar pattern of diffusive solute loss during
blanching. Mean D, values (Table 3) show that D, increases with increasing
temperature, having values of 3.07X 10P'", 4.13X 10PlO, 5.36X 10-", and
7.64x10-" m2/sec at 333, 343, 353 and 363°K respectively. A graph of In D ,
(mean values) versus 1/T (Fig. 3) shows that D,can be related to temperature
by an Arrhenius type equation:D.=Doexp (-E,/RT). From this graph the
value of E, was calculated as 28.2 kJ/mol. This compares well with reported
activation energies for other temperature dependent changes occurring in
plant foods during processing. Vaccarezza, Lombardi & Chirife (1974)
reported an E , of 28.9 kJ/mol for water diffusion during drying of sugar beet,
and Suarez, Viollaz & Chirife (1980) found an E, of 31.4 kJ/mol for water
diffusion in sorghum grain drying. Paulus & Saguy (1980) found E, values of
113.0, 92.1 and 117.2 kJ/mol for texture change in Rothild, Kundulus and
Rubika carrots respectively during cooking.
Three different cork borers were used to prepare Chantenay cortex
cylinders having diameters of 0.005,0.006 and 0.007 m. These were blanched
for several times up to 1800 sec at 343°K and the changes in cell sap
concentration are shown in Fig. 4. The rate of decrease of cell sap
concentration appears to increase as cylinder diameter decreases. From Table
 Blanching of carrot tissue 437

5-

'I
I

0
I I
300
1
600 900
I 1
1200
I
I500
0

I
I800
Blanch :ime (sec)
Figure 4. Percentage cell sap concentration of Chantenay carrot cortex cylinders of
0.005, 0.006 and 0.007 m diameter after the given blanch time at 343°K (means of
two replicates). A , 0.007 m; 0, 0.006 m; 0, 0.005 m.

3 it is seen that the D;, values are also influenced by diameter, but only during
the first 300 sec blanching, thereafter the D , values in all three cases were
similar with mean D , values of 5 . 0 4 1OP1(',
~ 5 . 0 8 10-'0,
~ and 4 . 8 3 lo-'"
~
m2/sec for the 0.005, 0.006 and 0.007 m diameter cylinders respectively. This
indicates that D , is indcpcndent of diameter during the time when solute loss
occurs by diffusion, and would be expected. Actual losses of solutes would
however be expected to increase with surface area and this was also shown to
be true.
In the final set of experiments, cylinders of Chantenay cortex tissue were
blanched in three different strengths of sucrose solution, the concentrations
being 3 , 9 and 15% (w/w) to give blanch medium concentrations that were 6%
smaller than, the same as, and 6% greater than the initial mean cell sap
concentration of 8.7%. The changes in the cell sap concentration after
blanching are shown in Fig. 5. Essentially the results are what might be
expected, with sucrose diffusing into the carrot from the 15% solution, little
change in cell sap concentration in the 9% solution, and diffusive loss of
solutes from the carrot into the 3% solution. This is in agreement with similar
observations reported by Dan & Jain (1971) who blanched asiatic carrots
(4.5% initial cell sap concentration) for 300 sec at 373°K in solutions
containing up to 9% sucrose. The mean D, values for solute movement in the
3 and 15% solutions are shown in Table 3, D, for the 9% solution being
indeterminate due to the negligible concentration difference. Mean D, values
for diffusion of solutes into the 15% sucrose solution were about four times
greater (19.1X10-10 m2/sec) than those for the 3% sucrose solution
( 5 . 2 3 lo-''
~ m2/sec). In both cases D , decreased with blanch time particularly
438 J . D. Selman, P. Rice and R. K. Abdul-Rezzak
18 r

20% (Nameless)

15% (Chantenay)

15% (Nameless)

9% (Chontenay)

3% (Chantenay)

0% (Chantenay)
3t
, 2 I

0 300 600 900 I200 1500 I800

Blanch time (sec)
Figure 5. Percentage cell sap concen~rationo f Chantenay and nameless carrot
cortex cylinders after the given blanch time at 343°K in 3, 9, 15 and 20% (w/w)
sucrose solutions, and water (from Fig. 2 ) (means of two duplicated replicates).

in the case of the 15% sucrose solution where very small concentration
differences existed after 900 sec.
It might be expected that cell sap concentration and blanch water
concentration would reach equilibrium at about the same time for both the 15
and 3% conditions. However cell sap concentration rose more rapidly towards
an equilibrium in 15% sucrose than did the fall in cell sap concentration
towards equilibrium in the 3% sucrose. The higher D, values observed
blanching in 15% sucrose support this, although it is not clear whether D, is
influenced by the rise of cell sap concentration or vice versa. After 1800 sec
cell sap concentration had reached 14% in 15% sucrose, and 5.5% in 3%
sucrose when in both cases the initial concentration difference was 6%.
Compared to the pattern in water, 9 and 3% sucrose, the pattern at 15%
appeared to be unexpected. The difference in the 15% curve seems to arise
during the first 300 sec blanching, when the changes occurring are not entirely
due to diffusion and yet will influence the calculated value of D,; for if the
initial cell sap concentration (C,) is taken as that recorded after 300 sec
blanching (=12.2%) then D, at say 1200 sec is 8.7X10-"' m2/sec. Similarly if
C , is taken as that recorded after 600 sec blanching (=13.2%), then D , at 1200
sec becomes 3 . 8 10-l"
~ m2/sec, i.e. more similar to the values of D, obtained
for the other conditions.
 Blanching of carrot tissue 439
However, considering the inherent variability of the carrot material, it was
suggested that the 15% result might simply be a reflection of this. And so,
bearing in mind the similarity between the results previously obtained for the
Chantenay and the nameless carrot cortex cylinders, blanching in 15% sucrose
was repeated and also in 20% sucrose using nameless carrots of similar
characteristics. These results are shown in Fig. 5 . The curves and D, values
(Table 3) are more nearly what might be expected in relation to the results for
water, 9 and 3% sucrose, with a mean D , of 6.61X10-"' in 15% sucrose, and
9 . 0 9 ~ 1 0 ~ "m2/sec
' in 20% sucrose. It is concluded that the results for
Chantenay carrots at 15% may well have reflected variability in the carrot
tissue, but that D , is influenced by the blanch medium concentration where it
is higher than the initial cell sap concentration. Typically a commercial blanch
water concentration for carrots might be about 3 4 % during continuous
blanching (Gooding, 1956).

Conclusions

The mean D , values for solutes loss from 0.006 m diameter Chantenay carrot
cortex cylinders blanched in water at 343°K were 4.13 x 10-"' and
5 . 0 8 lo-''
~ m2/sec for the two experiments. The difference between these
results would be expected from the variation in initial cell sap concentration
shown in Table 1. For the nameless carrot cortex D , was found to be
6.40~10-") m2/sec. Nameless carrot core losses had a D , of 5.3OX1Op"'
m2/sec, being slightly less, possibly due to an initially lower cell sap
concentration and the small structural differences between the tissues. The
mean D , for losses in the 3% sucrose solution was 5.23x1Op"' m2/sec
suggesting that solute contents in the blanch water up to 3% do not
significantly affect diffusive solids loss under these conditions. These D,
values compare with a D, for 0.38% sucrose in water at 298°K of 5.21 x 10-"'
m2/sec (Weast, 1977). D, was found to depend on temperature as expected,
with an E , of 28.2 kJ/mol, but was independent of cylinder diameter between
0.005 and 0.007 m. For Chantenay carrots, D, appeared to increase with
increasing blanch medium concentration, being four times larger in 15%
sucrose than in 3% sucrose solution. However it is suggested that the result
was atypical as repeated tests with nameless carrots in 15 and 20% sucrose
gave D, values of 6.61 x lo-'" and 9 . 0 9 10-l"
~ m2/sec respectively. In general
D, values were of the same order of magnitude as those reported for diffusive
solids loss from other foodstuffs under various conditions, the value being in
the typical range 3X lo-"' to 8 X lop"' m2/sec.
If D , is calculated for a given temperature, assuming an E, of 28.2 kJ/mol
and a constant Do of 8.1 x lo-" m2/sec, then D , t/a2 can be evaluated and E
may be found from the graph constructed from Table 2. Hence the cell sap
concentration (C) can be calculated for the required blanch time ( t ) . Due to
the inherent variability of plant material this will give only an approximate
440 J . D. Selman, P . Rice and R. K. Abdul-Rezzak
value of C. However it should be possible to predict the resulting mean cell
sap concentration in the carrot tissue, arid hence the overall losses incurred,
after a given blanch treatment in the temperature range 333 to 363°K. Further
work is now being carried out on potatoes, paying particular attention to the
prediction of losses of reducing sugars during blanching and washing
operations.

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Cleveland, Ohio.

(Received 2 August 1982)