A three variables by three level factorial design and response surface methodology were used to determine optimum conditions for osmotic dehydration of banana. The moisture loss, solid gain, weight loss and reduction of moisture content after osmotic dehydration were increased as temperature, sugar concentration and immersion time increased. The effect of concentration was more significant than those of temperature and time on mass transfer. Color difference and titratable acidity were decreased by higher concentration. Sweetness was increased by increasing sugar concentration, temperature, immersion time during osmotic dehydration. The regression models showed a significant lack of fit (p>0.5) and were highly significant with satisfying values of R2. To optimize osmotic dehydration, based on surface response and contour plots, superimposing the individual contour plots for the response variables. the optimum conditions for this process wire 26, 44 brix and 2 hrs for moisture content, sweetness and color difference are less than 72%, 24 obrix and 10 degree.

Texture is an important quality factor of processed chestnut products, which changes depending on the conditions of boiling process. The conventional boiling process consists of three stage(1st : 70 minutes at 60; 2nd : 20minutes at 70; 3rd : 80minutes at 98). To improve the conventional boiling process of processed chestnut products, we investigated the changes of texture at different stages of boiling process and undertook the optimization of boiling process by response surface method on heating times of 2nd and 3rd heating, and amount of softening agent. The initial hardness and cohesiveness, the most important textural characteristics of chestnut, were 7.876kg and 0.189, respectively. In the third boiling stage, hardness decreased to 0.313kg and cohesiveness increased to 0.310. Using response surface method the minimum point of hardness and maximum point of cohesiveness was examined and model equations for predicting the changes of hardness and cohesiveness in the optional boiling condition were developed.